


#pinkwall

by EmeraldWaves



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: College AU, Fluff, M/M, Modern AU, Pining Noctis, alot of the other characters are cameos, do it for the gram, instagram au, like this wall actually exists lol, long drabble style, minor alcohol use, road trip au, takes place in america for reasons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-02
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-06-20 21:43:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 28,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15542772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldWaves/pseuds/EmeraldWaves
Summary: As a last hurrah before graduating college, Prompto suggests he and Noctis take a road trip to L.A during their 2 week spring break. Prompto is desperate to snap pics in front of the infamous Pink Wall of Instagram and Noctis is hoping to finally confess his feelings for his best friend. Will either of them find what they're looking for on their impromptu cross-country road trip?*Completed*





	1. The Beginning: New York

"Noct! Have you heard of the Pink Wall!?"

Prompto comes barreling into Noctis' room. He doesn't knock; at this point they're way beyond that.

"The pink... wha?" Noctis says, turning to face his overly excited best friend.

He's smiling so wide, holding up his phone in Noctis' face. He pushes it closer and starts scrolling through pictures so fast on Instagram Noctis can't even focus on what he's showing him.

"The Pink Wall! It's this famous wall in L.A where people take the _perfect_ Instagram pics! We gotta go!" he says, practically jumping up and down.

"L.A? Prom... we're in New York... that's on the other side of the country..."

"And look! This one is pink _and_ blue and says 'California Dreaming' and this one is red and has 'Love' written on it a gajillion times! We gotta go, we gotta! It's an Instagram paradise!"

Noctis is pretty certain most people consider L.A to be a normal paradise, what with the weather and all...

"I dunno Prom..." he mutters, but his eyes meet Prompto's and Noctis knows he's fighting a losing a battle. When Prompto gets excited like this, Noctis can't turn him down. He wants him to smile, and he know how much Prompto's photography means to him. If he could, Noctis would give Prompto every goddamn Instagram wall he wants.

"C'mon! It's about to be spring break! Our _last_ spring break, I might add, and we could drive out there and back in two weeks easy! A pre-graduation trip!" he says, not backing down from any excitement.

This is so Prompto. He gets an idea in his head and he can't let it go. He latches on and never gives up until he achieves exactly what he wants. No matter how impractical or how illogical it is, Prompto somehow finds a way to make it happen, to make things work. It's one of the reasons Noctis fell for him. Not that Prompto is aware of those feelings at all.

"And how do you expect us to get to L.A.?"

"Welllllllll," he hums and he leans towards Noctis. "I was _hoping_ we could maybe ask your Dad to borrow the car?"

Noctis pales. He should've expected this, and of course the only thing rushing through his brain now are the images of the car the _last_ time he and Prompto took it out and oof... they are not pretty.

"You know how my Dad gets about the car-"

"But this could be the most important road trip of our life! I mean it's the last spring break we'll ever experience!" 

Noctis sighs, pressing his chin against his fist. "I'll ask him." Caving didn't take long.

"YES!" Prompto cheers. "I love you, man." He wraps his arm around Noctis' neck and nuzzles his head. It's a gesture of friendship; Noctis knows, but he can't stop the slight flutter of his heart.

"Heh... yeah," he mutters, and taps his pen on the desk.

"I gotta start packing! We need to have the perfect outfits for the walls!" he cheers, heading to his own room down the hall. Spring break doesn't start until the end of this week, but Prompto's gotta put that energy somewhere.

He doubts Prompto has actually planned this out in any capacity besides yelling excitedly at Noctis and begging him to ask for the car. On the surface, it's a horrible idea. Any sane person would turn the suggestion down immediately. But Prompto makes Noctis do crazy things, and something about the spontaneous adventure stirs his heart.

They have two weeks to get out to L.A and back. Noctis has been to L.A plenty of times with his father, always on boring business trips, never for fun, and they always flew. Road-tripping across the country sounds oddly romantic. Two weeks to see parts of the country Noctis knows he'll never experience otherwise, and really Prompto's right. When are they ever going to have time to do something like this again?

Soon, they'll be graduates. Prompto will be off chasing his dream of being a professional photographer and Noctis will be stuck at his father's company, working on learning all the ropes before he inevitably has to take over.

"Noct!" Prompto peeks his head into the room, holding up two casual sleeveless shirts. "Do you think black or red would look better against pink?"

Noctis tilts his head, looking at both options. Prompto will look good no matter what he wears. "Black," he replies.

Prompto narrows his eyes. "How did I know you were going to say that!" he laughs. "But you're probably right! Red would maybe blend in too much. The wall is _bright_ pink."

"Yeah, probably," Noctis nods, and Prompto runs back down the hall again.

Noctis bites his lip. He knows he should be focusing on the work in front of him. He has two business midterms he really needs to ace before he even thinks about this damn trip. But all his mind can focus on is graduating and possibly going his separate ways with Prompto.

At this point, he can't imagine his life without him.

He bites his lip and peers down the hall. Prompto is throwing clothes about his room, playing music and singing along. He's too damn cute for his own good.

Noctis knows he has to tell him. He has to say something before it's too late, or he'll regret it forever.

~~

He's on hold with his Dad. Calling his Dad is one thing, actually getting him on the line is another. Noctis isn't much of a phone talker, but he knows he's going to have to explain things anyway.

"Sorry Noctis, he's getting out of a meeting and the client keeps talking to him... he'll be with you in a moment!" His secretary puts him back on hold.

Noctis pops his lips a few times, clicking through the map on his laptop screen. He's trying to plan out some sort of route... Prompto hasn't thought about other stops at all, but Noctis wants to take him to some interesting places. Chicago seems like a good place to stop first...

"Noctis! Hello! I apologize for keeping you waiting."

"It's no big deal," he says. He's used to it.

"So, shall I expect you home in the next few days? Your spring break starts on Friday, does it not?"

"Actually, about that," Noctis begins, "I was wondering if I could... borrow the car for the next two weeks."

"You want to take the car for your spring break? I suppose if you're going to be driving around town and need to get things done-"

"No, Dad, uh..." He trails off. How can he fully explain this without sounding completely nuts? "Prompto and I... thought we could... experience more of American culture by driving across the country to L.A."

The line is silent, and Noctis can picture his Dad's face slowly processing everything he just said.

"A road trip? Across the country?" he repeats.

"Yeah..."

"In my car? That Prompto ruined the last time the two of you went on vacation..."

"Uh... yeah," Noctis says. When his Dad puts it that way...

He sighs. "I do like the idea of you having the opportunity to see places I was never able to take you... but if I say yes, you will give me a detailed itinerary of where you will be stopping on this trip. I don't want this to be one of Prompto's spontaneous adventures. Traveling across the country isn't simple."

"...I can do that." Technically he has already started.

"Ah! And Prompto is _not_ to touch the wheel of that car no matter what!"

"R-Right..." Noctis replies. He honestly can't believe his father actually is agreeing to this.

"Alright. I'll see you at home in a few days to say goodbye."

"Thanks, Dad."

He can't believe this trip is going to happen. In less than two weeks, Prompto will have his pictures, and maybe, just maybe... Noctis will have Prompto's heart.

~~

"I can't believe your Dad agreed to this!" Prompto exclaims, running his fingers along the edge of the black Regalia.

It's 6 AM, and they're just about ready to leave for their road trip. Noctis is exhausted, but seeing Prompto shining like the damn sun makes it all worth it.

"Same," Noctis yawns, placing their suitcases in the trunk of the car. "I mean, he already told me you're not allowed to drive."

Prompto whines, leaning his whole body against the car. "Understandable I guess... but what if you get tired!"

"I won't..." Noctis mutters with very little confidence.

"Noct, you always get tired. You're tired right now!"

"Fair enough..." he says. "Well... worse case we just won't tell him."

He slams the trunk down, and stares at Prompto leaning against the car, even with his whining he still looks cute. His lip is curled into a small pout, but his bright eyes are shining against the sunlight, and his freckles glimmer on his face. Too cute. Unfair.

Noctis clears his throat, not wanting to stare for too long. "I also had to give him a detailed itinerary of where exactly we were going, but it didn't take that long. I just picked out some cheap hotels," he shrugs.

"Aw you already booked us hotels?!" Prompto says. "I was hoping we'd stay at some sketchy motels or something!"

"I... can cancel them," Noctis says.

"No! Dude, I was kidding! I'm sure whatever you planned will be great!" Prompto laughs, nudging Noctis' shoulder as he comes around to the front of the car.

"I'm not married to the plan or anything, so... if we see something else, we can always change it," Noctis says.

"Cool!" Prompto smiles. "I'm just excited we're going! I've started planning out all the poses we can do once we get there." He looks like he's about to explode with excitement.

"Nice," Noctis says and unlocks the car. "I guess we should get going, no use sticking around here. We got about an eight hour drive to Ohio."

"Whew! That's a long one! What's even in Ohio!?" Prompto asks, scooting into his seat.

"Farmland? Cleveland? I dunno, guess we'll have to be surprised." He starts up the car, turning on a small amount of air. It's early in the morning, and the cold air will help him stay awake, even if it is freezing outside. At least it will be warm in L.A.

"Good thing I've got lots of tunes," Prompto says. He buckles up and pulls out his iPod, holding it up with a smirk.

"Go ahead, plug it in," Noctis says, adjusting the rear view mirror. "And I hope you're ready for a few long drives. There are a lot of them," Noctis chuckles.

"Oh, I'm ready! I got snacks, music and video games." He holds up his 3DS. "But you know, I also have _you_ , which is the most important part."

"Prom..." Noctis clicks his tongue and rolls his eye, but a small blush appears on his cheeks. Why does Prompto always say these things right when Noctis least expects them? It always throws him completely off guard.

"Aw c'mon man, you love me!" Prompto teases, nudging his side.

"Whatever." If only Prompto knew. Hell, if Prompto knew, Noctis would kiss him at every location he's marked out on his little map.

Right now, he's fiddling with his music player, and it takes all of Noctis' being not to lunge forward and grab Prompto's hand. He'd lace their fingers together and drive the whole goddamn eight hours that way.

"Alright," Prompto says, scrolling through his massive library of music. "What are you in the mood for?"

"Something that will keep me awake," he says, glancing at the clock. 6:07 AM. It must be illegal to be awake this early.

"You got it!" Prompto laughs and puts on some loud rock music.

He puts the car in reverse, his heart pounding. Somewhere out in the vast expanse of the United States, Noctis will eventually confess his love for his best friend, and hopefully Prompto will reciprocate.

"You ready for the Instagram adventure of a lifetime?!" Prompto cheers as they pull out of the driveway and onto the street. He lifts up his phone and zooms in on Noctis' face, snapping a picture of him holding the wheel.

"Prom!" Noctis whines, covering his face far too late. "It's 6 AM! Don't take pictures of me..."

"Sorry, Noct!" Prompto says. "I gotta document everything!" He holds his phone up and snaps a cute selfie. "And so it begins!"

Noctis pulls in a deep breath and smiles at Prompto's enthusiasm. "Let's do it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really excited about this idea!! I was hit with inspiration when I realized so many people travel from all over to take pictures in front of the Pink Wall in L.A for their Instagrams and that just seemed like such a Prompto thing... and so this story was born. It's gonna be a multi-chapter, longer drabble style story and I definitely will be keeping it on the lighter side. Thanks to Janie, Brit and Adriana for reading this ahead of time!!


	2. Ohio

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto and Noctis make a pit stop.

Ohio is flat. 

It’s so flat, Noctis wonders if he's going blind when he squints at what seems to be the never-ending road in front of him.

Driving through New York and Pennsylvania wasn't as bad, since there were mountains and scenery to look at, but Ohio is so flat; Noctis is trying not to fall asleep.

It's nearing 11 AM, and they're still almost 3 hours out from Cleveland. Noctis can't believe they've been driving for 5 hours.

Prompto's been doing his best, but there have been a few time he's fallen asleep. Noctis can always tell when it's about to happen because Prompto's voice starts mumbling, turning into ramblings about Instagram and pictures and graduation. He jerks himself awake usually, "I'm awake! I swear, Noct!" he insists multiple times.

Noctis can't be mad, because he looks so damn cute when he falls asleep. His head slowly tilts, his mouth drooping open against the side of the car.

"Suuure," he smirks. "That's why you were snoring so loud just two seconds ago?"

"I was practicing... my pig impression!"

Noctis takes a quick glance at him, raising his eyebrow. "I'll keep that in mind when we drive past the next farm. Maybe I can sell you off," he smirks.

"Noct!" Prompto gasps. "You wouldn't dare!"

"I dunno, if you're gonna sleep for the whole car ride..."

"I promise, man, I promise! No more sleeping ever!"

He pushes himself up on the seat, and leans his arm against the window. Noctis' eyes flick to the side. Driving with Prompto next to him is a little difficult; if only Noctis didn't wanna stare at him 24/7.

"Man," Prompto sighs. "Whoever said Ohio was flat wasn't kidding."

"You're telling me," Noctis grumbles. He taps his thumbs against the steering wheel. "At least you haven't been staring out at the empty road for hours and hours."

"True," Prompto groans, scrolling through his iPod to pick a new song. Noctis hopes he'll pick something that will simultaneously keep them awake and not give him a headache.

"Alright! Time to look up what there is for us to do in Cleveland!" Prompto says, pulling out his phone. He taps his finger against the screen, waiting for the page to load. "Maybe we can find some good places to take pictures! I want to document everything! But it's hard when all you see is flat farmlands," he mutters.

"What? You mean this scenery isn't the perfect subject for your Instagram?" Noctis says, gesturing to the flat plains in front of them. "I find it riveting."

"Ha-ha, very funny Noct," Prompto snorts, letting out a long sigh. "Dammit," he groans.

"What?" Noctis asks, not liking the tone of Prompto's voice.

"Ugh you're not gonna be happy about this," Prompto says, and the car moves ever so slightly with the shaking of Prompto's knee up and down.

"You have to go the bathroom again?" At this point, Noctis wouldn't be surprised; they've stopped almost three times for that in the past 5 hours.

"No... but... I'm starving!" he whines, flopping his head back against the seat.

"Prom..." Noctis mumbles, and he wonders if this entire road trip is going to be him dealing with what is basically the equivalent of a five year old. "That's why we bought snacks."

"Yeah. I'm hearing ya' Noct, I'm hearing ya', but I really want some _real_ food!" Prompto begs.

Noctis sucks at saying no.

"What counts as 'real food'?" he snorts.

"I dunno, we stop, get out of the car, eat something good! You're getting grumpy," Prompto teases, nudging him with his elbow. "I think we both could use a quick break. It's not like we're in a rush to get to Cleveland!"

Prompto has a point. Neither of them are wanting to see anything in particular in Cleveland, and Noctis' eyes could honestly use a break.

"Alright," he sighs. "Look up somewhere to eat around here."

"Gotcha! Siri, find food near me!" Prompto says, shouting into his phone.

"Okay, Lionheart, looking up food near you."

"Did you... tell Siri to call you Lionheart?" Noctis asks, raising his eyebrow at his best friend.

"Uh duh! It's a badass name!"

Noctis snorts. "Sure okay..." It's damn cute though. Prompto has a way of making the dumbest things seem amazing.

"Oh! Here's a place! Five stars... only a few miles away... cheap prices... It's called Iggy's Place," Prompto looks at his phone. "It... says it's a diner but all the reviews say it's some of the best food they've had in all of Ohio."

"Guess we gotta go then," Noctis smirks.

"Woohoo! Food adventure time!"

~~

They arrive at Iggy's Place twenty minutes later, and Noctis has to admit, he's starving too. The place is a couple miles off the main highway, and they haven't seen a car for miles. Noctis assumes it's because they're all parked at this damn restaurant.

"Man, this place must be real good if this many people are here," Prompto say. He holds up his phone, snapping a picture. The sun glints against the sign on the building, and Prompto gives Noctis a thumbs up. "Hashtag no filter needed."

Noctis rolls his eyes. "Come on, you were the one who said you were so hungry."

"Hell yes!" Prompto says, zooming past him as they both head into the restaurant.

It's no surprise it's loud in there. People are laughing and talking, most of the booths are occupied, and 50s music booms from a jukebox in the corner.

"Crowded..." Noctis mutters. He supposes it only makes sense for a popular restaurant to be crowded around this time.

"Awesome!" Prompto laughs, snapping a few more pics on his phone.

"Good morning!" A cheery looking waitress greets them. "Right this way!" she smiles and leads them to a table directly next to the kitchen. She places the menus down. "The coffee is one of our specialties, so if you need a good boost, I highly recommend it!"

Noctis twists his lips as he sits down. He's not the biggest fan of coffee, but they still have a few more hours to Cleveland, and it might be a good idea if he wants to stay awake.

"Dang this menu is huge!" Prompto says, snapping a picture of it. "We gotta document being at the most famous diner in all of Ohio!"

They both laugh as they flip through the menu. Noctis is currently torn between ordering breakfast food and ordering a sandwich.

"NO, NO _NO_!" A loud British voice yells from the kitchen. "I simply cannot allow you to quit right before the lunch rush!"

"Too frickin' bad! You're so picky about how people make your recipes, and I'm not dealing with it anymore!" The man storms out of the kitchen, followed by a man wearing glasses and hair spiked up in the front. The quitting man throws his hat on the ground by the front doorway, and Noctis blinks.

"Shit..." he mutters. "Maybe we won't be eating here."

"Trouble in paradise..." Prompto says, leaning over.

"Goodness... what am I going to do?" the man sighs tapping his forehead.

Prompto looks to Noctis, a familiar, dangerous glint in his eyes. _No_ , Noctis thinks. He can't be...

"You're in luck, good sir!" Prompto says and jumps up from his spot at the table.

Dammit, Prompto...

"In luck?" the man blinks.

"Yup! Me and this guy here, we're... culinary students! I'm Prompto and this is Noctis," he lies and Noctis already knows this is going in a horrible direction. "We're taking a road trip to try out all the best restaurants in the country!"

The man frowns for a moment, but then looks shocked. "My diner is on that list?"

"Oh! Are you... Iggy, of... Iggy's Place?!" Prompto asks, grabbing the menu and pointing at the title.

"Indeed I am. Ignis is my actual name," he says. Noctis wonders why a British man is the owner of a random diner in the middle of nowhere in Ohio, but who is he to judge really. "I'm honored my diner has made your list," Ignis continues. "However, my main chef just quit so I'm afraid the service is going to be... slower than usual. I do hope you won't hold that against me."

"But see, that's where we can help! We can make your recipes!" Prompto says with a confident smirk. Noctis has 0 idea where this confidence is coming from however, since neither of them are chefs, and both of them have been eating ramen day in day out since they started renting their apartment together.

"Hm..." the man looks between both of them. "Normally, I would absolutely never agree to something like this, but I do love a good learning opportunity, and I need to make some phone calls anyway to see if my backup can come in earlier... so... why not!"

And here Noctis thought this was going to be a quick pit stop.

"Prompto," Noctis hisses under his breath. "What are you doing?"

"I dunno! Tryin' something out!" he says.

There's no way this won't be a disaster.

Ignis leads them to the kitchen, handing them aprons. "Alright. The recipe books are here," he says, patting a few large binders with his hand. No wonder the menus are huge.

"The servers pick up food here, and all the ingredients are either in the fridge, or on these shelves. Please don't try and do anything you think you can, just assist me when I need it."

Prompto is smiling, looking insanely excited for something that is going to go horribly wrong. Noctis is just waiting for Ignis to figure them out and eventually kick them out of the kitchen, and probably out of the restaurant.

The worst part is, Noctis still hungry.

Ignis immediately gets to work, shouting orders at Noctis and Prompto to get him various ingredients.

"Noctis, eggs! I need eggs!" he calls out, and Noctis is far too tired for this.

He glances at Prompto who is putting together some sort of salad. The set up is messy, and he can see Ignis' horrified face as he rushes to Prompto's side, explaining that lettuce should really go in the small bowl _first_. Prompto gives a sage nod, as if he's learning the world's knowledge in this small diner in Ohio.

When he's done, he snaps a pic of his salad creation and he looks rather proud of himself.

The lunch rush is intense and it lasts for far longer than Noctis expects. He drops a few plates, and as the hours continue on and on, Ignis seems to get more and more frustrated. Noctis keeps expecting some sort of outburst, but the man keeps taking deep breaths, pressing his glasses up against his face. It seems to calm him every time.

But for Noctis, watching Prompto has been the most fun he's had in awhile. And Prompto is screwing up every order. Somehow. 

"Apparently even a grilled cheese is beyond you," Ignis sighs, shaking his forehead.

Prompto laughs. "Are you kidding? This is my specialty!" he says. "Everyone loves their ends a little burnt."

"I can guarantee you they do not," Ignis says. "Make it again, and hurry."

Even though it's 'ruined' Prompto still takes a picture of it, as he has of every single dish he's either made or put together.

As if to prove a point, Prompto picks up the ruined grilled cheese and takes a large bite of the burnt crust. He winks at Noctis.

Noctis is mostly surprised Ignis hasn’t kicked them out yet. He feels bad for anyone who came here looking to try some of the ‘best food in Ohio’, because he has feeling it's not up to their standard today.

He mostly feels guilty for stressing Ignis out more. He's flitting from station to station, checking on other stressed out workers.

"No, don't chop diagonal!" Ignis says, shaking his head as Prompto chops through chicken. Ignis stands next to him and gently covers his hand over Prompto's. "See?" he explains, "Like this..." He pulls Prompto's hand up and down, showing him the correct motion.

Jealousy stirs in Noctis' chest, especially seeing how Prompto's cheeks are dusted with pink. Noctis is frozen, daydreaming about covering his own hand over Prompto's. He's sure it's warm, and the first few times Noctis would definitely be nervous-

"Noctis, let's focus!" Ignis calls out, and he's snapped from his daydream, focusing on the dessert plate in front of him.

By 4 PM, the lunch rush is finally starting to calm down. There are only a few customers left in the diner and Ignis lets out a sigh, cleaning his glasses on his apron.

"...Boys," he says, looking to Noctis and Prompto. "Now, I don't want to sound ungrateful, but the two of you... you are not culinary students... are you?"

Prompto bites his lip. "We are... students?" he says, his voice all high pitched and squeaky.

Noctis isn't the least bit surprised they got caught.

"I thought so... but I have to admit. I admire your ability to charge in and take a chance, and even with all the mistakes, it was... helpful to have extra hands in the kitchen, so... I do thank you."

Noctis' lips pull into a small smile. Leave it to Prompto to somehow get away with his insane lie. And as nerve-wracking as it was, Noctis actually had fun all day working in the kitchen. It's certainly something he never would have tried had it not been for Prompto. Never a dull moment, always an adventure...

"I suppose I owe you... so pick a meal from the menus and... it's yours on the house," Ignis smiles. "I won't even force you to make it."

Noctis is pretty sure _they_ should owe Ignis, after breaking all his plates and messing up some of his patrons meals.

But he can't say no to free food, and it really is some of the best food he's ever had in Ohio. Actually, it's some of the best food he's had period. Prompto’s got a grilled cheese, made correctly according to Ignis, and Noctis has the most delicious burger… though it’s completely plain, much to Ignis’ dismay. He claims it doesn’t taste as good without all the toppings but Noctis still thinks it tastes perfect.

"This is amazing!" Prompto says, his eyes sparkling as he takes a bite of his small piece of cake. "We gotta come back and try other stuff next time we're in Ohio!"

Ignis chuckles, leaning against the bar counter. "Feel free to come back anytime, but don't be surprised if I don't let you in the kitchen."

"Aw," Prompto sighs.

"No, we understand," Noctis snorts. Even though the food is free, Noctis still leaves a good tip.

"Guess we’ll see you around Iggy!" Prompto waves as he head out the door.

"Do try and drive safe!" Ignis calls out. Noctis is certain that man will never trust him with anything.

"I can’t believe you did that, Prom," Noctis chuckles, sliding back into the car.

"Did what? Helped in the kitchen?" 

"Helped is a strong word..."

Prompto frown and pushes Noctis’ shoulder. "C’mon man! The whole point of this trip is to have adventures! I figured, why not!"

Noctis can’t argue with that.

They get to Cleveland after the sun sets, but Noctis is so amused by their day, he can't bring himself to care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have so much fun writing this fic. I know it's pretty ridiculous, but I hope everyone has fun reading it too :) Thank you so much to Lizi and Janie for reading ahead :D Enjoy this silliness!


	3. Illinois

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis and Prompto explore Chicago.

Prompto sees Chicago before Noctis does, or, well, he thinks he does.

"Noct! It's Chicago! That's _definitely_ the Sears Tower!"

They've been driving for a little over five hours thanks to traffic, Cleveland far behind them. Noctis is thankful Prompto has a giant list of things he wants to see in Chicago. It gives them far more to do, and hopefully there won't be anymore diner disasters.

Prompto rolls the window down and peers out, holding his camera up.

"Prom! What are you doing?" Noctis says. Prompto is fearless. All Noctis can imagine is Prompto dropping his camera against the roadway speeding beneath them, shattering the device into millions of tiny pieces. Only Prompto could lose the thing that brought them on this trip in the first place. 

"Getting a picture! I'm fine!" he yells over the wind of the highway. He seems completely unbothered. His blond hair flips against the wind, the camera pressed tight to his face. He snaps a few pictures and falls back into his seat. "I'm so excited, Noct!"

Noctis is excited too, but mostly because he loves the way Prompto's face lights up with joy when he scrolls through the list on his phone.

"We gotta go to The Bean first. We can take lots of cool pictures there!"

As the city fully starts to come into view, Noctis focuses on the highway. Prompto has listed off quite a few places he wants to see and Noctis can't really keep track of them all. They’re probably about as touristy as you can get, but Noctis isn't going to deny Prompto the happiness he deserves.

Unlike his best friend, Noctis has been to Chicago a few times with his father for various business trips and what not. Of course, they didn't do much sightseeing then, or if they did, Noctis doesn't remember it.

"I think it'll be better at night, don't you, Noct?" Prompto says and Noctis almost jumps out of his skin while driving. He needs to stop spacing out, but Prompto's smile always brings a blush to his cheeks.

"Huh? What?" he says, trying to regain himself. "The Bean is better at night?"

"No," Prompto snorts and laughs. "Were you not listening?"

"Well Prom," Noctis teases. "I am supposed to be focusing on the road."

"Yeah, right. You're supposed to tell me if you're about to fall asleep," Prompto wags his finger at Noctis' face playfully.

"I'm fine," he concedes. "I-I just wanted to make sure I was going the right way." It has nothing to do with Noctis being distracted by how cute Prompto is, smiling next to him. No. Not at all.

"Sure, sure. I'll let it slide this time, but next time, I dunno," Prompto winks. "Anyway," he continues, glancing down at his phone. "I was saying we should go see the Navy Pier at night! It'll be all lit up. Totally romantic," he smirks.

Noctis' heart leaps right up into his throat. Romantic? Romantic for who? For them? But Prompto has no idea... right? Or well... Noctis _thinks_ he has no idea...

"Who knows what kind of cute girls we might see there!" he cheers, thrusting his hands up towards the roof of the car.

Of course. Girls. Girls exist in the world, and Prompto _would_ have his eye on them. But Noctis knew where his own eyes would be looking all night...

"Yeah," he swallows. "Whatever you wanna do. This is your trip. I've been to Chicago."

"Aw c'mon man!" Prompto groans, leaning against the window of the car. "It's our trip!"

Noctis finds it hard to believe when Prompto plans on looking at girls all evening long.

~~

"What did you say this thing was actually called?!" Prompto asks. He moves his face really close to the side of The Bean, his nose stretching, his freckles scattered over his distorted face.

"Uh, Cloud Gate," Noctis says.

"Cloud Gate?" Prompto says and sticks his tongue out. He runs his hand through his blond hair, flicking it up more. It curls over the angle of the reflection in the silver sculpture. "What the hell does that have to do with anything!"

"I dunno," Noctis shrugs. "I know the real name but I don't know why it’s called that."

"Maybe because when you stand under it, you can't see the clouds! Like a gate... blocking them!" Prompto says. He's now holding up the camera, taking zoomed in shots. In the reflection, the lens stretches across the shiny surface. Knowing Prompto, he's got the perfect angle for the best shot.

"I don't think that has anything to do with it," Noctis snorts.

"C'mon, let's go stand under the middle!"

His fingers wrap around Noctis' wrist and Prompto drags him forward. It seems he's forgotten all about the secret, hidden meaning of Cloud Gate, which is probably for the best because Noctis is certain he's never heard anyone call it that, it's just... 'The Bean'.

"This is such a cool angle!" Prompto laughs, and he slings his arm around Noctis neck. "Say cheese!" he teases.

Instead, Noctis holds his fingers in a peace sign, smirking at the angle Prompto has got of them from the underbelly. "Looks cool," Noctis says, peering over Prompto's shoulder as he glances back at the pictures he's taken.

Prompto dashes back to the outer side of The Bean and he places his hands on it, so it looks like he's doing a double high five with himself. "Quick, Noct! Snap a pic!" Prompto is smiling so wide, and he looks so perfect and excited. It's no wonder he's got so many Instagram followers; it's impossible to take your eyes off of him.

Noctis snaps a few pictures and hands the camera back to Prompto. "Tell me if you want me to redo it, we both know I'm not as good with a camera as you," he smirks.

"Oh, ho, ho!" Prompto says, scrolling through pictures. "Nah these look great! You know, Noct, you might have a bright future in photography!" he laughs.

"Doubtful," Noctis rolls his eyes. Prompto has such blind faith in him.

"Alright, I'm pretty hungry and I think we got our money shots," he smirks, giving Noctis a thumbs up. "I'd say it's time for deep-dish pizza-" He freezes in the middle of his sentence, and Noctis follows his gaze. He's staring at a group of teenage girls, all laying on the ground, their feet pressed against The Bean. It's actually a cool picture, and Noctis is far too aware of the glint shimmering in Prompto's eye.

"We _gotta_ ," he says, turning towards Noctis.

"Ugh," Noctis rolls his eyes. "I dunno if I wanna lay on the ground."

"Too bad! _That_ is the true money shot!" Prompto laughs and immediately collapses to the ground, pressing his feet up against the metallic surface.

Noctis sighs and slowly lays down next to him. Caring about how dirty the ground is shouldn't matter all that much, especially when he and Prompto will have an amazing photo for the rest of their lives.

He places his feet on The Bean next to Prompto's and he wonders how nice it would be if they could lay like this together in other ways, more intimately. Maybe Noctis could wake up and Prompto's feet would be intertwined with his own...

Prompto's head leans on Noctis' shoulder, and it doesn't help his daydream. He can imagine watching Prompto's chest rise and fall with his soft breaths as they wake up together in the morning...

Prompto's laughter jolts Noctis from his thoughts. "See," he says, holding the camera to Noctis' face. "Money shot."

The two of them are sitting on the ground, but it looks like they're sitting up straight with their reflection in The Bean. Prompto is aiming the camera, but you can still see the wide smile pulled across his cheeks. And Noctis, his smile is tiny but it's filled with far more devotion than Prompto realizes.

"Money shot," Noctis agrees quietly.

~~

Prompto is right. The Navy Pier is lit up perfectly at night, and Noctis feels like he's been dropped right into the middle of a carnival. The smell of fried food is all around them, but Noctis is so stuffed from pizza, he never wants to look at anything else involving food again.

Of course, watching Prompto eat deep dish pizza was an adventure all on its own. Both of them had made a mess, unable to finish either of the large slices they chose to order.

Noctis wiped Prompto's mouth when he kept missing sauce stains all over his face, his face scrunching up all cute.

"Man I almost wish we hadn't had so much pizza! That ice cream looks good!" Prompto says, gesturing to a small cart near the Ferris wheel.

"I don't know how you can even say the name of any food," Noctis mumbles softly, tilting his head back. Secretly, he’s happy Prompto seems to be more focused on food than girls like he originally mentioned.

"I know..." Prompto groans. "I think that pizza attacked us. It's safe to say we can put the debate to rest."

"Debate?"

"Yeah dude! People always argue if New York pizza or Chicago pizza is better. Obviously it's New York, hands down."

"Oh. Yeah... New York pizza is way better." Noctis honestly can't imagine stomaching Chicago pizza more than once in his lifetime.

"Still... I'm disappointed about the ice cream," Prompto sighs dramatically.

Noctis gently pats his shoulder. "How about we take a ride on the Ferris wheel instead? You can get some pictures at the top, and it's slow enough neither of us will get sick."

Prompto immediately smiles. "Great idea Noct! We should be able to get an awesome picture up there!"

"Yeah," Noctis smiles, moving to get in the short line.

It occurs to him while they’re waiting this is really a date activity. Tons of couples love going on the Ferris wheel and making out once they get to the top, enjoying the view and backdrop of Chicago. Noctis wonders how Prompto would take it if he just kissed him out of the blue. He probably would be confused, since Noctis sucks at his feelings and has never once expressed romantic interest in his best friend.

When they finally climb into the small car, Noctis feels his heart begin to race. Soon their little cabin will move and they'll inch closer and closer to the top.

And _inch_ they do. As they start to load the cars after them, it feels like it takes a painfully long time. Every time the ride moves, Noctis' heart throbs faster and faster, watching as the bars of the ride slowly start to angle more downward as they crawl to the top.

He's not sure what he's anticipating. It's not like they're a couple, so they won't be making out once they get to the top. Prompto will most likely take some pictures, get excited over the view, and then slowly the car will lower itself back down.

Everything will be completely normal.

And yet, Noctis feels so damn disappointed.

"Noct! We're almost to the top!" Prompto says, peering out his window. "Look! You can see the pizza place we ate at I think," he says, pointing out the window.

Noctis switches sides of the Ferris wheel to peer over Prompto's shoulder. "Oh yeah... though I don't know why I wanted to look at it so bad," he snorts. "I'm still stuffed."

"I dunno... I could probably eat that ice cream now."

"Ugh... Prom... please..."

The two laugh as the wheel moves yet again and Noctis doesn't switch back to his old spot. Prompto's hand is on the bench while he stares out the window, squinting his eyes as he tries to make out certain areas in the darkness.

It would be so easy for Noctis to reach out his hand and gently touch Prompto's... lace their fingers together and-

The car lurches, putting them back in motion. Finally, it stops them at the very top. The car swings in the minimal breeze and Prompto lets out a soft sigh. "Wow... you really can see so much from up here!"

"Yeah," Noctis agrees, but he's not looking at the view.

"You know, this is pretty romantic, Noct!" Prompto says, turning around to wink. Noctis is thankful Prompto immediately turns back to the view, as he feels his cheeks heat up, his heart throbbing in his ears. 

"W-What can I say-" Noctis starts 

"I know you probably wish you were up with a cute girl," Prompto says, not turning around. There’s a hint of sadness in his voice, one Noctis hasn’t heard for a while, and he wonders if Prompto is disappointed they’re not _closer_ right now too…

Before Noctis can answer, Prompto takes out his camera. "Better get these before we start to move again!" 

And just like that, the emotion laced through his tone is gone.

Prompto snaps a few pictures, adjusting his lens so the glare from the city lights doesn't ruin his shot. "Man you gotta see these!" Prompto laughs, and Noctis leans towards him. 

"See-" Prompto turns around, coming face to face with Noctis, their noses practically touching.

"S-Sorry!" Noctis stammers and pulls away. "I was thinking I would... uh... lean over your shoulder!"

"N-No! It's okay, I got excited to show you and didn't realize..." he trails off. Laughs slowly, Prompto holds the camera up for Noctis to see. The skyline is beautiful, and Noctis is happy Prompto seems to be pleased with his shots.

"I, uh, I'm glad you're getting so many good shots for your Instagram..."

"Yeah dude," Prompto smiles, and awkwardly looks down at his camera brushing his thumb over the screen. "Gonna be uh... a solid... collection," he smiles, holding his camera up. "I'm pretty happy you're in a lot of these with me."

The car starts to move while Prompto smiles and his face glows brighter than the city lights illuminating him in the most perfect backdrop.

"You know, we should take a more selfies! Starting now!" he says and wraps his arm around Noctis' shoulder.

Noctis knows his face has to be bright red, but Prompto takes the picture anyway, he always does.

"It's a plan," Noctis shrugs, the car slowly sinking back down to the ground for them to move on. "We're making some good memories."

"The best plan!" Prompto cheers, enjoying the slow movement of the ride. He turns to stare out the window, his gaze focused on the people below.

Even when they're not at the top, Noctis can't stop watching Prompto, just wondering what it would be like to kiss his lips, kiss him all over.

No. They're making good memories, focusing on their _friendship_.

As the wheel begins to sink back down to the pier, Noctis can only hope the memories will stay good, amazing even, as they continue onward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY BIRTHDAY NOCTIS!! It was so perfect that this chapter came out today!! :D I hope everyone enjoys it, sorry there is gonna be a lot of pining and a lot of awkward moments throughout this fic LOL! Thank you so much to everyone reading and commenting! I'm glad people are enjoying it! <3 Also sorry for my hot take, but since Noct and Prompto are from NY in this verse I figured they would like NY Pizza better (tho i kind of agree >>)


	4. South Dakota

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis and Prompto see Mount Rushmore

"Let's go right now!"

"Prom," Noctis sighs, holding out Prompto's name for as long as he can. His voice is muffled, his face buried into the pillow on the very comfortable hotel bed. "We're supposed to go in the morning."

"But this _sunset_!" he says, and gestures to the pink and orange sky. "Imagine Mount Rushmore in front of _that_ sky!" Prompto bounces up and down looking outside the window.

Noctis is way too tired to imagine anything.

Honestly, it's a miracle Noctis is alive after driving since 5 AM for thirteen hours. "Ugh. Thirteen hours," he groans, uselessly reminding Prompto of how long they've been in the car. Of course they stopped for food and bathroom breaks, so the overall trip time was even longer.

"Right. But it's right up the street!" Prompto's got this puppy dog look on his face, and Noctis wants to punch him, if only because it's next to impossible to resist. "You could let me drive!" Prompto smirks and Noctis' own expression visibly falls.

"Forget it." He picks up the keys and practically topples off the bed, his body moving like jelly. "Don't ever let me plan a trip like this again," Noctis groans.

"Why?!" Prompto laughs. "It's been fun!"

"Come back to me when _you've_ driven for thirteen hours straight!"

Noctis can't deny it has been fun, but he's starting to think he made a fatal error in trip planning when it came to this long day. Thankfully, none of the other stops have so much distance between them.

"Alright..." Prompto caves. "S-Sorry buddy. We don't have to drive up there." Noctis can see the guilt on his face.

"No, I'm already out of bed so let's go."

"You sure?"

"Prom, you already got me out of bed, so yes I'm sure," Noctis snorts.

"Okay, okay. Sorry dude..."

Noctis smirks, not wanting Prompto to feel guilty. If Noctis is going to drive him up there, Prompto better have fun, dammit. "S'fine," he chuckles. "You just better get the best picture."

The drive up to the actual monument isn't all that long, and Noctis feels a second wind of energy watching Prompto leap out of the car to run towards the lookout point.

Admittedly, Mount Rushmore is a little underwhelming. It's a rock with four presidents heads carved into it. It's impressive, he supposes, from an art standpoint. But besides looking at the actual mountain there isn't much to do. There's a small museum, but as far as pictures go, Noctis isn't really sure what Prompto would get from it.

He's taking different angles, adjusting his lens and snapping pictures while the sun slowly sets, the sky turning a darker tone of orange and red now.

"Noct! C'mere!" Prompto yells and waves him over. "We gotta take a selfie with the presidents!" he says.

Noctis saunters over and stands next to Prompto who tilts the camera down. "We gotta get just our heads so we match them."

Noctis snorts, a laugh slipping from his lips. "There's no way this is going to be a flattering picture."

"No, dude, it's gonna look so cool!"

He snaps and few and turns it around. As suspected, their heads look a little bizarre, but Noctis can tell Prompto thinks it's cool. Noctis flips through a few more of the photos, noting the sunset ones with Mount Rushmore alone look really beautiful. "Please tell me you're not putting the selfie ones on Instagram."

"Of course I am! We gotta prove we were actually here!"

Noctis raises his eyebrow. "Don't the pictures of Mount Rushmore alone prove that?"

"Well, kind of... but this _definitely_ proves it!" Prompto says, taking another picture. "When we come back in the morning, I can get some clear day shots too. Hopefully it doesn't rain," he mutters.

"Should we check out the museum? Since we're here?" Noctis suggests.

"Yeah!" Prompto says, getting one final shot. "You sure you're not too tired?"

Noctis shrugs. "I got a second wind."

"If you're sure dude!"

Heading to the museum, Noctis is surprised by how awake he is. Admittedly, one of his favorite things to do is sleep and the fact that Prompto can keep him awake really is amazing. His energy is infectious, but admittedly Noctis just adores seeing Prompto happy.

They step inside and Prompto immediately begins to read the sign. "... made in 1941... Woah!" He turns to Noctis, eyes sparkling. "I thought it was way older than that!" he exclaims and heads further into the museum. "History is so cool!"

"Really? You think so?" Noctis has never cared much for history. Probably because his father constantly talks about his _family_ history... how important their company is and what it means to his lineage. It isn't something Noctis cares much for... it reminds him of where he'll be once this trip is all over... once _school_ is all over, and Prompto... who knows where Prompto will be.

"Yeah! I mean, think about it... there are so many things you can learn from the past. What to do... what not to do..."

"I dunno man, they do say history repeats itself," Noctis says playfully.

Prompto scoffs. "Yeah because those people don't pay attention!" He walks past a few old photographs and stops, brushing his fingers over the display case. "I guess that's why I enjoy photography," he says softly. "It tells stories... and when all the people who knew you are gone, they leave behind a legacy... or... or a mystery!" he says. "Everyone can piece together what happened based on the photos you leave behind...

"And who doesn't love a good mystery!" Prompto laughs.

Noctis blinks, listening to Prompto speak about his feelings. Noctis never thought of photography in that way. He always viewed it as more of an art form, which it certainly is, but... Prompto speaks of it with such an interesting perspective.

He suppose it makes sense for Prompto to have a sense of longing and interest in a person's backstory given his own. His adoptive father is wonderful, but Noctis knows deep down Prompto has always been curious about his real parents. He probably wonders if they're still together, if they have shelves of frames or books of pictures documenting their lives and timeline together.

On nights when they've talked deeply about it, Prompto has admitted to feeling as if a piece of his true identity is missing... one he fears he'll never find.

They have the opposite problem. Prompto wishes he could find his family, while Noctis wishes he could run from his.

Prompto's eyes flicker with something sad, and Noctis hates the look on his face. He doesn't want Prompto to be sad. Ever. This entire trip is about making Prompto happy, so Noctis snorts and nudges his side. "Deep," he teases.

"C-C'mon man! I'm serious!"

"I know," Noctis says, laughing at the pout on Prompto's face. "It's pretty cool how you look at it," he shrugs. "Impressive, I mean..."

"Yeah," Prompto says, tapping gently at the side of his camera. "I guess that's why I like keeping my Instagram so active. I want to look back and remember every detail of every memory I experienced! And when I'm gone, I want my account to stay there forever, so people can know all about the amazing things we did in our lives, cause, duh, we're gonna do amazing things."

Noctis can't help but blush at how casually Prompto says 'we', like it's so simple to think of them as a pair when they're technically not.

For a moment, he wants to argue. Of course Prompto is going to do amazing things. Noctis looks at the incredible emotion behind Prompto's photography and he just knows Prompto is going to be _great_ , in every meaning of the word. The world is going to love his story... and the stories his photographs will tell.

But Noctis... what will Noctis do that's great? Take over his father's company? Continue the family legacy? Doesn't sound very amazing if you ask him.

Prompto casually walks over to a different display and Noctis stares at his back, slowly but surely Prompto will get bored of him. When he realizes Noctis will be tapped by his family name, Prompto will go out and find his own adventures without Noctis.

The emotions hit him like a ton of bricks; this road trip really is their one chance. One final adventure... together.

"Noct?"

"Huh?" he blinks, snapping from his thoughts when he realizes Prompto is looking at him.

"I asked if you were okay? You were kind of spacing out," he chuckles.

"Oh, uh, sorry," Noctis mutters. "I guess I'm more tired than I realize."

"Hey," Prompto smirks and slings his arm around Noctis neck. "I got an idea." Noctis swallows and he hopes Prompto's idea involves something with sleep... or food, Noctis wouldn't mind a solid bite to eat.

"Yeah?"

"I'm pretty sure our hotel has a hot tub by the pool. How about we grab some alcohol and hang out by the pool," he winked.

Noctis lets out a long sigh of relief. "Yeah, that sounds pretty nice," he chuckles. "I could use a drink after my _thirteen_ hour drive. Plus the five minutes it took me to drive up here."

"Eesh, yeah," Prompto laughs nervously, snorting. "You don't gotta remind me. I mean I _was_ in the car with you."

"Yeah but it's different when you're the one driving," Noctis explains. "You gotta really... focus."

Prompto laughs again, walking them back towards the car. "Why do I get the feeling you're gonna hate this car by the end of this trip?"

"Are you kidding? I already hate it!" Noctis laughs along with him this time.

They get back in the car, much to Noctis' chagrin, and head back to the hotel. Prompto's right, there's a large pool indoor pool with a swim-up bar, and nothing has looked more heavenly.

Once they change, Noctis is in the water so fast, letting out a sigh as he floats on his back. He doesn't really even care about drinking, just floating is perfect. His limbs stretch out on the top of the water, the cool liquid trailing over his skin. Yup. Noctis has definitely died and gone to heaven.

"This feels great," Noctis hums.

Next to him Prompto dunks his shoulders under the water with a long gasp. "It's a little cold for me," he admits. "You'd think an indoor pool would be warmer than this!"

"Nah, it's perfect."

"You're used to cold river water from swimming and fishing so much!" Prompto scoffs. "P-Plus you have more muscle than me!"

"Fair enough," Noctis teases. "Let's stay here for the rest of the trip," he sighs.

"And miss the Pink Wall!?" Prompto gasps, as if it is the most horrible thing that could happen. They both laugh.

Floating silently, Noctis finally turns his body upright, looking at Prompto leaning against the side of the pool.

"Man, it would've been so cool to be one of the first photographers! Of course, it would've been sad since people didn't smile as much back then," Prompto muses softly.

"I think that was just in pictures, Prom... I doubt people walked around frowning all the time."

"See! But that's the mystery! We'll never know! All we have are pictures to go off of!" he laughs softly.

"Yeah but we could also look at human behavior..."

"Can we, Noct? Can we?" Prompto teased, narrowing his eyes as he flicked some water at his best friend.

Noctis snorts and swings his arm back splashing water at Prompto's back. "Okay, I think you've done enough deep thinking for one day." He gently pat Prompto's head.

"H-Hey! It's not even that deep!" Prompto laughed. "It is cool to think about though. But okay, okay... how about we get that drink?" he asks, gesturing towards the bar.

"I dunno if I should drink alcohol if I gotta drive tomorrow," Noctis mutters, dreading another long drive.

"Noct... I'm pretty sure the alcohol will be out of your system by then," Prompto laughs.

He rolls his eyes. "I know _that_! It... might make me feel sick though since we're waking up early again."

"How long did you say tomorrow’s drive is?" Prompto asks.

"...Seven hours."

"Psh! Compared to today, that's nothing!" Prompto says and pushes Noctis towards the bar.

"Wow, I'm glad you've decided for me, the driver, that it is nothing," Noctis laughs.

"Yeah, you're like... a driving pro now!" Prompto says.

"Alright, _one_ drink probably won't hurt." He follows Prompto over to the bar.

The whole point of this trip is to have fun, and after all the thoughts swirling around in Noctis' head, he thinks letting loose doesn't sound so bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, I loved planning out where they're going and actually mapping out their trip LOL. It's been so fun, I hope everyone continues to enjoy this journey!! Thank you to everyone who is still reading this fic <33 and thank you to Janie for beta-ing!


	5. Wyoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis experiences jealousy.

It's almost 1 PM and Noctis is currently _still_ regretting that one drink. His head is pounding and even though he's already had at least 2 cups, he thinks one more will definitely do the trick.

"Can we get coffee?" he blurts out, slamming the door behind him.

"Coffee?!" Prompto yells, twisting his lips. "Noct, you've already had two whole cups and you _hate_ coffee! You're gonna be a jittery mess all day at Yellowstone! Old Faithful is _right_ there!" he whined. "I don't want to miss it!"

It's true, Noctis does hate coffee. He's gotta dump massive amounts of sugar into it to make it taste even remotely good, but he'll suffer the bitter taste to wake himself up a bit.

Noctis stares at his best friend. It was another long day in the car, a little over 7 hours, and he feels like he's physically dying. "Prompto. It's called 'Old Faithful' for a reason. It erupts multiple times a day. If you miss this one, you'll see the next one."

There's a small gift shop and cafe right next to the viewing area, and Noctis starts heading that way. He hates how tired he is on this trip, and it's not just from all the driving. He thought he could handle being around Prompto this much, but it turns out he _sucks_ at it.

Take, for example, last night. After swimming in the hotel pool, Prompto showers and walks around the hotel room in a towel. The water rolls down his chest, his blond locks pressed against his forehead, and Noctis hates knowing there's nothing underneath the towel.

He knows he shouldn't _stare_... but he can't help it. Prompto's got such defined muscles, ones Noctis is well aware he worked hard for, and he can't stop ogling him and Prompto's going to notice one of these nights and then Noctis will be unequivocally _screwed_.

He breathes.

No more thinking about that.

Right now, he's on a mission to ignore Prompto and get some flipping coffee.

He walks towards the building, tucking his hands into his pockets. "I'm literally dying, Prom. Just give me this one reprieve," he says.

"Alright, alright," Prompto sighs. "I guess it's the least I can do since you're driving around so much."

"Yeah, give a guy break!" he chuckles.

"You know, I was reading about it on my phone and it said Old Faithful erupts in different ways. Sometimes it doesn't even erupt when it's supposed to!" Prompto explains, glancing over at the large crowd of people gathering around a bench.

"What does that mean?" Noctis raises his eyebrow, turning to his friend. As they step into the cafe, Noctis immediately wrinkles his nose. He really isn't a fan of coffee or the smell, but he doesn't want to be boring and exhausted while they look at stuff all day.

"Well it means we might have to wait awhile, depending on the eruption. One person said it just bubbled a little bit and didn't do anything for another two hours!" Prompto sighed. "I hope that doesn't happen. There's so much to see here!"

"Same," Noctis mutters and orders his drink of death... or life in this case, since hopefully it's going to keep him awake.

"Let's go!" Prompto says, and yanks him by the wrist, heading out the door.

Sometimes, Noctis wonders where he would be without Prompto. Probably still back in New York right now... but even looking back on his college experience; half the things he did, he did with Prompto… or _because_ of Prompto.

He stares at his back as Prompto drags him towards the viewing area. He's always doing this; following behind Prompto, but he's never minded. He's happy Prompto breaks him out of his shell... gets him to do crazy things he never would've dreamed of doing before in his life! This whole trip feels a little bit like a dream, like he's going to wake up back in New York before he even knows it.

He wishes there was someway he could thank him. In a way, this trip sort of is a thank you...

"I gotta get my camera set up!" Prompto bounces, finding a spot on the bench. He plops down and gestures for Noctis to join him. He hops over the bench and sits down, staring at the empty geyser. Right now, it's just a tan mound, rising from the earth.

"You two must be tourists," A deep voice chuckles, and both boys turn to see a gruff looking man sit down next to them. His hair is dark, the sides shaved down to his head. He has a scar down his left eye. Noctis immediately wonders if this man wrestled a bear.

"Yeah? And what are you?" Prompto asks, narrowing his eye at the guy. "I mean, everyone here is pretty much a tourist right?"

"Nah," the guy shrugs. "I live here."

Prompto blinks. "You live in Yellowstone National Park!?"

The guy bursts out laughing. "No! Not exactly. I mean... I work here and I live nearby!" he explains.

"Oh... jeez... I thought maybe you lived _here_!" Prompto laughs.

"I basically do. Today is my day off, and I'm still here," he grins. "I'm Gladiolus, but you can call me Gladio," he says, holding his hand out to Prompto.

He shakes his hand, the man's grip moving Prompto's arm up and down almost like spaghetti. "I'm Prompto and this is Noctis!" Prompto wrinkles his nose. "Why would you come here on your day off, don't you wanna... y'know... relax?"

"I'd rather go for a hike. I've worked here for years and there's still so much to explore!" he chuckles. "So where are ya’ from?"

"New York," Noctis says.

"Ah. City boys," Gladio scoffs, a judgmental look crossing his face.

"Hey! We can hold our own out here!" Prompto snorts.

"Oh yeah?" Gladio raises his eyebrow. "What did you plan on doing today?"

"Well, we're waiting for the geyser to go off and then I wanted to be sure to get pictures of the hot pools for my Instagram," Prompto explains.

"Instagram? See! You are just regular tourists!" Gladio chuckles. "Look if you want some really cool pictures, I can show you some amazing places if you wanna go hiking with me," he smirks.

Prompto's eyes immediately start to sparkle and Noctis can tell his sense of adventure is tingling inside of him. "I'm documenting the entire trip! Eventually we're going to get to L.A. but we gotta get all the cool places along the way!"

"Huh. L.A. Never been. Not really interested," Gladio snorts. "But hey, after the geyser erupts, I'll take you up to the falls and you can take lots of pictures. The hot pools are amazing too, but if you don't see the falls, you're missing out," he smirks.

"Awesome! A hike led by a local, sounds great!"

It sounds terrible actually, and Noctis is still exhausted, but Prompto is so excited, he can't say no, and like hell he's going to let Prompto go off alone with this strange, ridiculously handsome, mountain man.

"How long you two here for?" Gladio asks, snapping Noctis from his daze.

"We're leaving in the morning," Noctis says, and he's kind of happy. He feels jealousy tug at his heart, seeing Prompto so excited to talk to this Gladio dude. "We only got two weeks to get this whole trip completed."

"Ambitious," Gladio smirks. "I like it! Ah-" he gestures to the geyser. "It's gonna start!"

"Alright!" Prompto cheers and immediately holds his camera up, watching as the water bubbles over the edge, shooting up in small spouts. It takes a solid few minutes for Old Faithful to erupt completely, a tall stream of water bursting into the air.

Noctis can see water particles floating on the wind, and a few of them tickle his skin, dampening his arms. He smiles, watching Prompto snap picture after picture. "This is incredible!"

"Yeah... it is," Noctis says, his head tilted towards the sky, watching the water fly high. Though he has to resist the urge to watch how excited Prompto looks the entire time.

The eruption doesn't last too long. There are 'oohs' and 'ahhs' from the crowd, watching as the water slowly falls back down, ready to heat up once again.

"Man..." Prompto says, lowering his camera. "I'm really glad we didn't get one of those dud eruptions!" he laughs

"Same," Noctis smiles.

Jumping up, Prompto turns to Gladio. "Take us on this hike! I'm ready to challenge the wilderness!"

"Great!" Gladio smiles. "You got water? Let's head for the falls!"

Noctis inwardly groans, not wanting Prompto to hear him. He pushes himself off the bench and makes his way after them following them on the path.

While they walk, Gladio starts spewing off facts about Yellowstone. It was founded it 1872, it stretches over three states, and he lists off various types of wildlife which live there. Prompto is totally enthralled, hanging on every word Gladio says.

Jealousy ripples through Noctis even more. How come Prompto is so easily able to just... talk to people? Noctis has always sucked at that. Prompto is charming and interesting and it's no wonder people flock to him. Even now, in the secluded woods, Prompto managed to make a new friend.

He stomps behind them, trying to keep up, but he's already falling behind. Always one step behind Prompto.

"It must be so interesting to live out here!" Prompto exclaims.

"It's incredible," Gladio sighs, turning his face up to the sky. "I always breathe in the cleanest air. Can't imagine livin' anywhere else."

Noctis rolls his eyes. He can't imagine someone like Prompto living anywhere but the city. He loves the hustle and bustle, loves getting the perfect shot and people watching. Yeah, Noctis has seen Prompto get anxious before, but he's come so far... Noctis thinks Prompto would get lonely if he lived out in the woods.

They continue on, traipsing up a large hill. The hike feels like it's lasting forever; they've been walking for at _least_ an hour. Noctis wonders if his knees were built for this. As much as he's used to walking around New York, this is something else completely.

"Everything is just over this hill," Gladio says, pointing up. "I'm proud of you two for keeping up! Especially you, Princess," he smirks, pointing at Noct.

"Hey! I'm not a Princess!" he frowns immediately. Yeah. He's pretty done with this Gladio dude.

"Suuuure," he teases and pushes them forward.

Noctis hopes these falls are worth it.

Prompto makes it to the top before any of them, rushing ahead of Gladio. He looks like a kid, excited to discover presents on Christmas morning.

"Holy... wow!" he gasps, and immediately whips out his camera, holding it by his side.

Noctis can hear the rush of the water flowing nearby. The sound growing louder and louder the closer he gets to Prompto. His life often feels like this climb, desperate to follow after Prompto, no matter how tough the terrain gets.

And when he gets to the top, and actually catches Prompto; it's always worth it. Coming over the hill, Prompto still hasn't taken a picture, his eyes focused on the water in front of him.

The water rushes over the cliff side, pouring into the spring miles beneath them. Noctis peers over the cliff, feeling a little dizzy, but he can't stop staring. The water is clear as day; the rocks completely visible beneath the river. It's so beautiful and powerful, rushing over the edge. Noctis can't help but take it all in, and he's not surprised Prompto can't seem to take a picture.

Finally, he raises his hand and snaps a few pictures. "To be honest, I've never really seen a waterfall this big before," Prompto says. "It's... kind of incredible... maybe a little terrifying?" he chuckles, glancing at Noctis.

"Yeah..." Noctis says, and suddenly he doesn't feel so jealous anymore. Right now, he's experiencing this with Prompto and Prompto alone. Gladio's nearby, but Noctis isn't paying any attention to him.

They stand next to each other, watching the water dance over the edge of the cliff. That nature can make something so strong and beautiful, clearly leaves them a little speechless.

Noctis feels Prompto move a little closer to him and his hand twitches. His skin tingles, Prompto's knuckles barely inches away from Noctis'. He so desperate to reach out and touch him, can imagine it so clearly in his head. It could happen... it would be so easy-

"Do you want me to take one of you two together?" Gladio calls out interrupting them.

"Y-Yeah!" Prompto says, stepping back, the aura gone.

Disappointment sinks into Noctis' chest. As much as he wishes he could hold Prompto's hand, he supposes a picture of the two of them together will be a good memory to hold onto forever. 

As they make their way back down the hill, Noctis walks in silence, glancing at his hand. He wonders what it would've felt like to wrap Prompto's fingers around his own, lacing their hands together. Warm, he imagines. Plus, it would've shown Gladio they were a thing... and he should stop flirting with Prompto no matter how cute he is.

Instead, Noctis follows them quietly, wondering if he'll ever get to experience Prompto's hand in his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyyy they're going cool places! Getting closer and closer to L.A! I am loving this journey! Thank you to anyone reading this fic! :D <3 Thank you to Lizi for looking it over!


	6. Utah

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The car breaks down in Utah.

Before they leave Yellowstone the next morning, Prompto insists they stop at the hot springs.

"Man, I wish Gladio were here to tell us more about these!" Prompto laughs as he snaps pics of the uniquely colored springs. The water is an odd shade of blue, bright and vibrant, surrounded by orange, yellow and red hues on the ground.

Noctis does sort of wonder what causes the coloration, but he's glad to be alone with Prompto again. That Gladio guy was the worst.

"Yeah," he sighs dramatically. "You'll have to read this board just like everyone else."

"I know!" Prompto whines. "No fair!" Both of them chuckle and Prompto snaps a few selfies of them in front of the pools. "They are really cool."

"Smells awful," Noctis says, covering his nose.

"Yeah... I definitely wouldn't want to fall in."

After about an hour of exploring, Noctis urges them to leave. The drive to Salt Lake City is about five hours, which is thankfully one of the shorter ones, but Noctis wants to get a move on so Prompto can actually enjoy Utah.

"Bye Yellowstone!" Prompto says, waving through the car window as they pull out of the park. "Man... there's so much we didn't see! Do you think if we came back sometime, Gladio would show us around?"

Noctis feels his eyebrow twitch. What the hell is Prompto's obsession with Gladio!?

"Probably. The guy lives here, even went to the park on his day off," Noctis mutters.

"Yeah..." Prompto sighs, staring out the window as the large, white-capped mountains slowly pass them by. "You know... if I lived here, I would probably come here everyday too."

"You'd have to," Noctis says quietly, his eyes fixated on the roads. "I can't imagine you not being around people."

"True!" Prompto laughs. "You're probably right. I definitely think city living is more for me. It's cool to vacation here for sure but... I would definitely miss the hustle and bustle of New York!"

Noctis flicks his eyes towards his friend. "Hm..." he mutters, sliding his fingers over the steering wheel. "So do you think you're going to stay in New York after you graduate?" It's dangerous to ask about the future, knowing the bubble they've created on this trip could potentially pop. Noctis isn't quite ready to shatter this illusion of happiness he's created.

"Hell yeah!" Prompto says, leaning back in his seat. "I mean, I might travel a bit or something. Kinda wanna explore Europe... but there's no way I won't come back to New York."

"Really? You're not worried you might fall in love with L.A?" Noctis asks. "You could become a famous Instagram star!"

"Nah," Prompto chuckles and his smile lingers after the laughter finishes. "I love taking pictures, but I can do that in New York! Plus, you'll be there so... win-win!"

Noctis feels his cheeks heat up. Did Prompto really consider him as a factor?

"Yeah, unfortunately I won't be leaving New York anytime soon," he sighs.

"Unfortunately? Dude it's gonna be awesome! And even if you're busy with your Dad's company, we'll still hang out all the time."

"Yeah, totally," Noctis laughs softly. Prompto is surprisingly optimistic about this whole thing and Noctis tries not to let his mood drop.

They spend the majority of the ride to Salt Lake City reminiscing about college. There was the time they slept out by the school pond, watching the stars. The night they decided to try all the food listed on the dining hall menu. Noctis didn't want to eat for a week after that. Prompto forcing Noctis to drunk model in their dorm room late one night. Noctis waking Prompto up in the boring literature class they were forced to take for a general education credit...

Noctis hopes he never forgets these memories... precious moments with Prompto he knows they'll never experience again. Even if Prompto stays in New York... Noctis knows nothing will be like college. Nothing will ever allow him such freedom.

As they grow nearer to their destination, Noctis wonders if Salt Lake City might be better in the winter, especially if they were into snow sports.

"So what's on the list for Salt Lake City-" Noctis begins to ask, but immediately stops when he sees the 'Check Engine' light pop on on the dashboard. "Uh oh," he mutters.

"Uh oh?" Prompto gasps, leaning over toward Noctis, trying to peer at the dashboard. "What's 'uh oh'?"

"The 'Check Engine' light just turned on," Noctis mutters, and raises his eyebrow at Prompto. "What did you do to the car?"

"Me?" Prompto squeaks out. "I didn't do anything! You haven't even let me touch the car!" He looks panicked, his bright eyes wide with fear.

"Pfft," Noctis scoffs. "Calm down, it was just a joke. You look guilty though."

"I'm not, I swear!" he waves his hands about quickly. "But... what are we supposed to do!?" he asks.

"Gotta find a garage I guess. Might delay us getting to the hotel though," he sighs.

"That's okay, there's not much to do in Salt Lake City anyway," Prompto shrugs. "I'll help in any way I can." He offers Noctis a sympathetic smile, mostly because they both know Noctis' dad is going to kill Noctis if something is actually wrong with the car.

Prompto looks up the name of a garage and he finds one right near their hotel. Hammerhead, it's called.

When they arrive, Noctis pulls the car into the service station. It's got a gas station attached to it too, covered by what looks to be a giant shark head. Appropriate.

A blonde girl approaches their car in a yellow jacket and jean booty shorts, hugging all the curves of her body. Noctis swallows, turning towards Prompto who will _not_ stop staring. Honestly, Noctis gets it. The girl is gorgeous. Still, his heart throbs with the annoying sensation of jealousy; a feeling he's come to greatly despise over the past few days.

"Hey y'all! What can I do ya' for?" She leans over, showing off the perfect view of her cleavage and both boys quietly swallow. "New York, huh? Y'all are a long way from home."

"Hey, yeah," Noctis says, stepping out of the car. "We're on a road trip and the 'Check Engine' light came on. Can you squeeze us in? We can, uh, pay extra."

"Pleeeeeeease?" Prompto asks, batting his eyelashes.

The blonde snorts. "Well, when y'all ask so nicely, it's hard to say no!" she giggles. "How long you two boys in town for?"

"Just for the night," Noctis explains. "We're staying right down the street."

"I see," Cindy mutters. "Well... lemme take a look at 'er. If it's nothing too bad, I can probably have her back to you in a few hours, or at least by the morning."

"Thank you so much," Noctis says, bowing his head.

"'Course!" she says. "Here at Hammerhead, it's my job to get things done efficiently," she winks. "I'm Cindy by the way," she says, holding out her hand to Noctis.

"Hi Cindy. I'm Noctis and this is Prompto."

"Nice to meet you!" Prompto smiles, waving as he tries to lean against the car in an attempt to look somewhat cool. It fails, and Noctis raises an eyebrow, trying not to laugh.

"Right back at'cha," she laughs, and points her fingers. "Lemme take a look under this hood."

"I'm gonna go grab some snacks," Prompto says, gesturing towards the convenient store. "You want anything?"

"I'm good," Noctis shrugs. He figures they'll walk somewhere to go and get dinner.

He leans against the car, watching Cindy pop the hood. Staring off, he admires the mountains, the backdrop of the garage almost looking like it belongs in a painting. "I bet y'all don't see scenery like this in New York City," Cindy says.

"How did you know we were from the city?" Noctis asks. There are plenty of mountains in New York, but nothing like this. This view is something else, picturesque even.

"I dunno! Y'all just had a vibe."

"Technically this is a city too," Noctis snorts, keeping his arms folded.

"Yeah but Salt Lake City is very different from New York City."

Glancing around Noctis can see, she's telling the truth. "So, y'all are on a road trip huh?"

"Yeah," Noctis sighs, running his hand through his hair. "Last hurrah before graduation," he shrugs.

"You don't sound very excited," she teases playfully.

"I dunno," Noctis shrugs. "It's been a cool trip, but it's mostly Prompto's idea, and I sure as hell don't wanna graduate."

"Oh? Is he just using you for your baby here?" she says, patting gently on the side of the black car.

"No! No way! Prompto would never do that. I mean... I agreed. I'm gonna have to work for my father after this and... yeah Prompto wanted to take pictures all over the country, and I couldn't really say no to him."

She stands up from underneath the hood of the car. "I see," she smiles. "Y'all got some faulty wiring and a loose spark plug. Nothin' major. I can easily fix this in a coupl'a hours," she says.

"Thanks," he says, a sigh of relief slipping from his lips. "I seriously can't thank you enough. If you need to up charge for a rush fee, it's not a problem."

"Don't you worry your pretty city boy hair," she giggles. "I've got it. You will have to pay for the parts though." As she gestures for him to follow her over to the cashier, she continues, "so where y'all headed?"

"L.A.," Noctis says. "Prompto's goal is to take pictures in front of this pink wall in L.A. It's an Instagram hot spot or... something," he chuckles, feeling foolish the more he explains it. "But we've stopped at Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, Chicago... just... trying to see things along the way. Prompto's taken some cool pictures. I'm sure he'd show you. He... gets really excited about that stuff." Noctis smiles just thinking about Prompto showing off his pictures with his childlike joy.

"I see," Cindy says, punching some numbers into her cashier. "So y'all are like... dating?" she asks and Noctis immediately turns bright red.

What?! What the hell gave her that impression!? He flails his arms quickly. "W-What? No! N-No! We're just... we're just friends."

The words hurt more to say out loud than he realizes.

"Oh! Sorry, you just... had this look on your face so I thought..." Cindy apologizes, but she stares at Noctis for a minute. "So... how long have you loved him then?" she smirks.

He hates how much his face flushes at that. "I uh..."

"It's okay, honey," she winks. "It comes to just a little over $100."

"R-Right," Noctis stammers, pulling his card from his wallet. He slides it across the desk and sighs. He doesn't know why he feels so comfortable around the blonde, but she's got this way about her... this aura that makes him want to open up and tell her his whole goddamn life story. "I... I'm thinking about telling him on this trip. Once we're back to school we only have a few weeks left before graduation. He's probably going to travel, and I'm going to start training under my father and well... now or never, right?"

"Noct!" Prompto comes running in. "Look at these shark cheese puffs I found! I'm so excited!" he laughs. "I know you said you weren't hungry, but I got you some too," he smiled. "Also I may or may not have taken some pictures of the scenery!" he says. "Wanna see Miss Cindy?" he offers, holding up the camera.

"'Course darlin'!" she says, and comes around the counter, leaning over his shoulder. Noctis can see the pink appear on Prompto's cheeks, and the hint of jealousy tugs at his heart.

"Wow!" she exclaims. "These are real good!"

"Thanks!" he chuckles. "I took a few for Noct too," he says pointing to those, and Cindy looks up at Noctis and winks. Noctis immediately turns away from her, praying Prompto doesn't notice how red his face is.

"You're a good photographer. I can see why you're into this Instagram thing!" she giggles.

"Oh, so Noct told you about our perilous journey!" Prompto laughs. "So perilous... we broke the car."

Cindy laughs. "The car isn't that bad. In fact, it'll be ready in a few hours! So y'all can come back today or tomorrow, whatever works best for you. There's a great diner down the street if you're hungry!" she winks.

"Awesome! That's great news!" Prompto smiles.

"See you boys soon," she waves, and gently nudges Noctis in the side. "Don't worry, I think y'all got a good chance."

"Heh..." Noctis shrugs. "I dunno about that."

Cindy winks. "See y'all soon!"

"C'mon Noct! Let's check in to the hotel and then grab some _real_ food. I'm saving these sharks for later!"

"Okay, okay," he says, and follows after Prompto, wondering if Cindy could potentially be right. He hates to think he has a _chance_ with Prompto, because if he tells him and Prompto rejects him, he knows he'll feel so damn foolish.

But seeing the way Prompto smiles at him... and knowing how they sometimes can be... he can't help but wonder if maybe... just maybe... he might have a good chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Lizi and Janie for reading this over! We're only a few chapters away from California :3c


	7. Arizona

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis and Prompto meet some foreigners at the Grand Canyon.

Even with the six hour drive, Noctis is excited to take Prompto to the Grand Canyon.

After saying goodbye to Cindy, Noctis feels some semblance of hope... he wonders if maybe he should say something to Prompto and what better place to do so than one of the most majestic places in the whole United States.

Well, Noctis has never been, but he can only assume a place as iconic as the Grand Canyon is probably romantic. At the very least, he'll cross one place off of his bucket list.

"You know, people say it doesn't even look real!" Prompto says. As per normal, he's been a bucket of energy since they hit the road, even though they left around 6 AM. It should be perfect timing. They'll get there around noon, and Prompto will have the best possible lighting for his pictures of the canyon.

"It doesn't look real?" Noctis asks, tapping his finger against the steering wheel in time with Prompto's tunes.

"People say it looks like you're looking out at a painting. Not if you're like in the canyon or hiking, but if you go to a lookout point, it apparently doesn't even look real!" Prompto exclaims.

"Well," Noctis smirks,"I guess we'll find out when we get there." Even though he's been exhausted driving for the majority of this trip, Prompto's energy is contagious.

"I wish we could spend the whole spring break here," Prompto sighs, already daydreaming about what the Grand Canyon could look like.

"What? And miss out on your chance at _The_ Pink Wall?"

"Okay, okay," Prompto rolls his eyes. "I was kidding! Of course I'm excited for the L.A walls, but this kinda thing... it's different you know? It's nature! It's cool in its own way."

"Yeah," Noctis nods, and Prompto spends a good majority of the drive looking up different excursions they can do at the Grand Canyon. Noctis refuses to white-water raft, and Prompto says he doesn't want to hike.

"Oh... my... _GOSH_!" Prompto cheers and thrusts his phone towards the roof of the car. "I've got it..."

Noctis looks at him skeptically, scared for what daring activity Prompto could possibly suggest.

"MULE RIDES!" he says.

"Mule... rides?"

"Yeah! They're _famous_ Noct! You take a mule down into the canyon! I'm signing us up right now!" he said, typing stuff out on his phone.

"Is that... even safe?" Noctis blinks, staring at the road. He doesn't love the idea of being on a small mule while it walks close to the canyon edge. But Noctis flicks his gaze to the side for a moment and Prompto's eyes are practically sparkling.

The blond has always been something of an animal lover, and he's probably more than thrilled at the prospect of riding a cute mini horse down into the most amazing canyon in the country.

"Of course it's safe! There's a guide, and they do tours daily. Obviously if it was some death trap they wouldn't still be running!" Prompto says, and Noctis is certain that's one of the most rational things the blond has ever said. Or maybe he's just trying to trick him so Noctis will agree.

Either way, he will.

The drive takes about as long as Noctis expects, and they pull up to the gate entrance around 12:30 PM. The sun is blaring down on the car, not a cloud in the sky, and Noctis is pleased his planning actually worked out nicely this time.

"We gotta stop at the first lookout point! Our mule tour isn't until two so we have plenty of time!" Prompto says, awkwardly unfolding the giant map on the dashboard of the car.

"'Course!" Noctis smiles. His heart beats fast, and partially he's thrilled to actually witness the Grand Canyon, but mostly he's so excited to see Prompto's face.

They pull the car over to the side, pulling into the large parking lot, and Prompto leaps out of the car heading down the pathway.

Noctis is quick to follow, just as eager to see the sight as Prompto.

It takes a lot for Noctis to have his breath completely pulled out from his lungs, (usually only Prompto can give him such a strong reaction), but when they approach the Grand Canyon, Noctis walks a little slower. His body trembles and what Prompto said earlier is 100% correct. The backdrop looks like something out of a painting. The canyon seems to span for miles and miles, the red, tan and green sight is vast and huge and Noctis isn't sure his eyes can take it all in.

He stares, unable to even turn to Prompto as he watches people walk past him getting closer.

It makes him feel so small for a moment, insignificant... as cliche as that entire idea is. This giant canyon has been around for centuries... who knows how long really... and he has such a short amount of time and he's wasting it watching Prompto from afar and really he should just man-up and-

"NOCT!"

Prompto is in front of him, waving a hand. "P-Prompto?" he gasps, suddenly pulling back.

"We _gotta_ get closer!" He reaches forward and wraps his fingers around Noctis' wrist, sliding down to his hand, tugging him forward. Noctis is so in awe, he doesn't process their fingers wrapping around each other as Prompto pulls him closer, heading towards the lookout point.

There's a large bridge that juts out into the canyon. It loops around to make a U-shape and Prompto has 0 fear as he dashes towards it.

"This is incredible!" he says. "Noctis can you believe this?!" He drags him closer to the lookout point and leans over the edge of the railing.

Instinctively, Noctis tugs on Prompto's hand, pulling him back away from the railing. The last thing he needs is Prompto being so excited he leaps into the freaking canyon.

"I just can't believe... it really looks like a painting," he says, brushing his hand across the sky, as if he's touching the canvas himself, letting all the earth colors come to life under his palm.

"Y-Yeah..." Noctis whispers, and the two of them stand there, looking at the view for an unknown amount of time. They stand, still holding hands as the warm breeze blows around them. Noctis wonders if he can stay in this moment forever; taking in the sights, clinging to Prompto's hand. It feels like it's only them and the beautiful sight in front of them.

"Man..." Prompto sighs, finally breaking the silence. "It almost feels... wrong to take a picture of it." He states this as people crowd beside him, snapping picture after picture.

"Yeah?" Noctis asks, honestly surprised by the sentiment. Prompto always wants to take a picture.

"I dunno if I can fully... capture it, you know?" he mutters, rubbing the back of his neck.

Suddenly, both of them realize they're still holding hands and they fidget for a moment, Noctis tucking his hand into his pocket. "I-I mean I'm... gonna take one!" Prompto says, using his now free hand to hold his camera. "W-We gotta document all the stops on the trip!"

"R-Right..." Noctis mutters and shoves his hand into the pocket of his shorts. Prompto is blushing, and he's certain he is too.

"Excuse me!" A young woman with a soft British accent and blonde hair approaches them, a wide smile on her face. "Could I bother you for your assistance?"

"Huh, us?" Noctis says, looking at the girl dumbfounded. She's cute... wearing a flowing white summer shirt and khaki shorts, a large, round hat atop her head.

"Yes! My brother and I are trying to take a photo, and it seems you are too... perhaps we could do an exchange?" she smiles. "We'll take your photo, and you can take ours."

"Lunafreya, you shouldn't bother people like that. I'm certain we could figure this out on our own, or we could just take pictures of the landscape instead of _being_ in them." A tall man moves to stand next to her, grumbling as she asks.

Lunafreya clicks her tongue. "Come now, Ravus. We must have at least one picture of the two of us here!"

"Yeah!" Prompto laughs, "you gotta have evidence."

"See? So... it's a deal then?" she smiles, and Noctis nods.

"Sure, but uh, let him do it. He's way better at this," Noctis says, gesturing to Prompto.

"Marvelous!" Lunafreya claps her hands together, standing in front of the railing as she waves to her grumpy brother.

He rolls his eyes, but moves to stand next to her. "Fine. Let's get on with it then."

Lunafreya giggles, and gently pats his arm. "You're at one of the most beautiful places in the world, there's no need to be so grouchy, Ravus."

He sighs, and Prompto snaps a few pictures of them, getting the backdrop of the canyon in the shot. "Here! Check these out!"

Lunafreya reaches forward and grabs the camera, flipping through the shots. Her light blue eyes widen. "These are honestly amazing!" she gasps. "You're an incredible photographer."

"Thanks!" Prompto smiles, rubbing his neck. "I'm trying to be a pro."

"No wonder! I’m debating if I should even bother taking a picture for you," she says.

"No! No, you should!" Prompto urges. "A selfie just won't cut it!"

He jumps back and wraps his arm around Noctis' neck. "Yeah, we need a better picture," he chuckles.

Prompto immediately flings his arm around Noctis, pulling him close. He never seems to worry or care about how close they are in these moments, but it always makes Noctis’ heart throb in his chest. 

Prompto leans towards him, and Noctis wonders what would happen if he turned his head and pressed his lips to Prompto’s, it would be so easy… they’re so close…

"Cheese!" Prompto cheers, and Noctis faces forward, looking at the camera.

The girl takes a few and hands Prompto's camera back to him. "See!" Prompto smiles. "These look great."

They honestly do, and after taking selfie after selfie on this trip, it's nice to have a legitimate photo of the two of them side by side.

"I'm Lunafreya, by the way," she says. "And this is my brother Ravus." She gestures to the grouchy looking man next to her.

"Noctis, and this is Prompto. Are you visiting from out of the country?" Noctis asks, since both of them of them have slight accents.

"We are!" Lunafreya says, hooking her arm through Ravus'. "We decided to come see the sights here in America. You really have a beautiful country."

"Yeah," Noctis smiles. "We're, uh, kinda learning that for ourselves too."

"Oh?" she asks.

"We're on a road trip. Started in New York and we're ending in L.A," Noctis explains.

"That's amazing! You've driven all this way?" she asks, and Noctis nods.

"Yeah, Noct is a real champ!" Prompto laughs. "He's driven the whole time."

"Well I would love to hear about your adventures, but we're doing this mule tour!" she says.

"The mule tour at 2?" Noctis asks. "We're doing that too."

"Splendid!" Lunafreya giggles, clapping her hands together.

The group walks over, and Noctis actually enjoys talking to Lunafreya. Normally it's Prompto who connects with people right away, but with her, he feels a sense of peace. Prompto seems to like her too, the two of them telling her about all the sights they've seen. Lunafreya's brother isn't as interested in the conversation, but he puts up with it all to keep his sister happy, or so Noctis gathers.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so excited!" Prompto squeaks and practically leaps in the air when he sees the mules all lined up in a row.

"Aww... they're all so cute!" Lunafreya says and the two approach the man tending to them. The two blonds immediately start petting the mules, laughing and clearly enjoying their time together.

"I'm glad she has someone else to share her energy with," Ravus speaks frankly.

"Yeah. It's nice to see Prompto having fun with someone," he says. "A fellow animal enthusiast."

"I'm sure you enjoy watching your boyfriend be so happy," Ravus says bluntly.

"Uh! Wait... no... we're not..."

"Could've fooled me... Lunafreya and I simply assumed." he smirks, and makes his way over to the two blonds.

Why did they assume?! Did they really _look_ like a couple? Noctis feels his cheeks flush as he takes a moment to gather himself before joining the group.

The group is assigned their respective mules, and Noctis ends up riding close to Prompto, Luna and her brother behind them. As the mules walk along the edge of the canyon Noctis feels his heart begin to race. It almost feels like they could topple over at any minute.

"Don't look so nervous Noct!" Prompto laughs. "Dude, these mules walk this every day!"

"Yeah but that doesn't mean they can't make a mistake one day," he snorts.

"You need to have faith in your mule, Noctis!" Lunafreya laughs from behind.

"You guys have no fear."

"Nope!" They both say in unison and Noctis can't help but laugh along with them. He wishes he had no fear... that he could tell Prompto all of the things he's feeling, and let him know how much he cares for him. Why is it so difficult?

He would tell him how much he adores the fact that Prompto loves animals, how he's jealous he made friends with Lunafreya so easily, how he wishes he had Prompto's sunshine and how he wishes he could've kissed him in the picture Lunafreya took for them.

Instead, he watches from afar, as he always does, terrified of what Prompto will say.

Their mules wind down the canyon path and Noctis knows he's only seeing a fraction of the canyon, but it feels like he's experienced something amazing. He peers over, noticing the water rushing beneath them. The rock formations are massive and unique, like nothing Noctis has ever experienced before.

The further down they go, the more the walls loom over him, casting shadows over their heads every now and again. It reminds Noctis of how heavy his feelings are... it's getting harder to resist... harder and harder to keep his mouth closed.

Prompto spends a lot of time talking to his mule... he seems so invested in him. He's already decided they're best friends.

Noctis thinks about what Cindy said... about how she thought he had a chance... How apparently Lunafreya and Ravus thought they were a couple... they only makes Noctis want to blurt out his feelings more.

"Hey Prom," Noctis says, looking down at the raging water beneath them. "If we come back again... maybe we should try white water rafting."

"Really?!" Prompto gasps.

"Yeah, why not, I wouldn't mind... taking a chance... with you," he says.

Prompto's cheeks light up, his lips pulling into a smile. "We should definitely come back! There's so much to see here and we've barely scratched the surface."

"I think you're right," Noctis nods. He is right, and there's so much more to say, so many more chances to take... and Noctis is only just beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S PROMPTO'S BIRTHDAY!!! MY BOY I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!! Perfect timing to post this chapter!! Noctis is just about ready to explode, but I promise things are looming on the horizon. Thank you to Janie for beta-ing this! :D Enjoy!!!


	8. Nevada

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto and Noctis party in Vegas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for Alcohol use

"VEGAS BABY!" Prompto cheers loudly the moment Noctis parks the car at the Venetian Hotel.

After stopping at one of the most beautiful places in the world, Noctis wonders if Vegas isn't one of the most disgusting. He already misses the fresh air.

The Grand Canyon was magnificent, but he supposes as dirty as the Las Vegas air feels, it is majestic in it's own unique way.

"Prompto, that's the 8th time you've said that since we got in the car," Noctis teases, snorting as he pulls his bag out. He banned him from saying the phrase after the 7th time on the highway.

The drive to Vegas thankfully wasn't as tiring as some of the others. It took about five hours, and Prompto let him sleep in just a bit. Vegas, apparently, is way cooler at night.

"Okay, but we're actually _here_ now! Cut me some slack!" Prompto laughs, heading into the hotel.

Noctis has never been before, but he knows his father has come to the Venetian quite a few times. Vegas does feel like a city for business men with money to spend on gambling and booze, things Noctis has never cared much about.

But he supposes for one night, it might be kind of fun? Prompto seems excited and as always, his energy is more than infectious.

When they step into the sparkly hotel, Prompto's eyes glisten with excitement. "Noct!! Do you think they really modeled this off of Venice?"

Noctis looks around; he's been to Venice before, once when he was younger, and the hotel is a pretty decent replica... Prompto looks so excited though, that even if it wasn't Noctis probably would've lied and said yes all the same. "Yeah it's decently accurate," he shrugs.

"Oh yeah!" Prompto giggles. "I forgot you've been to Europe."

"Yeah," Noctis rubs his neck. "It's been awhile though."

They check-in and make their way to their room, high on one of the upper floors. After staying in more rural areas, it's fun to stay in a bustling, bright city. It reminds Noctis of New York.

For a moment, he feels homesick. He misses the excitement New York brings. Noctis isn't much of a fan of big crowds, but he does love people watching, and he's looking forward to doing that in Vegas.

He quickly remembers however, that returning to New York, means graduation is one step closer... something he doesn't want.

On second thought, staying in Vegas forever is starting to sound like an amazing idea.

They open the door and Noctis feels his heart leap up into his chest.

A king bed. A solo bed. Nothing else. How is he supposed to sleep next to Prompto all night long?!

"Oh... only one bed," Noctis mutters to himself.

"Hey don't worry man," Prompto says, walking by it without a care in the world. "It's big enough for the both of us."

"True," Noctis mutters, and he wishes his heart felt the same. The thing feels like it's gonna rip out of his chest it's beating so hard. Of course he and Prompto have been roommates forever, but actually sharing a bed with him is a new phenomenon, and one he's not quite prepared for.

He was considering taking more chances with Prompto, but this is a bit of a leap.

Prompto, unfazed, runs over to the window, swinging the curtain open. "Dang!" he gasps. "This view is amazing Noct!" he laughs, and swings his suitcase onto the bed, collapsing onto it behind him. "What should we go first? Obviously we gotta try gambling just a little bit. Nothing too crazy! And I wanna take pictures by the Bellagio fountains! We could take a romantic gondola cruise!" he smirks.

"W-What?" Noctis stammers. Between the bed and Prompto asking to take a romantic cruise, Noctis is afraid his heart is going to burst.

"I'm just kidding! BUT I do think we should take the cruise ride and pretend we're in Venice."

"W-Well," Noctis tries to regain his composure. "That _is_ the whole point of staying here." He thinks he's recovered pretty well.

"Yeah so let's do it!"

Vegas starts to feel like a whirlwind of emotions. The two of them start with the gondola ride since it's in the hotel, and Prompto is immediately snapping pictures. Noctis is actually impressed by how well they've replicated Venice. Of course, the actual city has a beautiful charm to it Noctis feels can never be repeated, but this miniature slice of Italy is fun to enjoy.

"Let's take a selfie, Noct!" Prompto cheers, and he slowly moves to his side of the boat, the two of them smiling with the water as their backdrop.

Noctis is used to being close to Prompto for pictures. The two of them squeeze in tight to fit in most of the frames he takes... and yet, Noctis feels sweaty, like something about this time is different. Prompto smells like strawberries, and his freckles twinkle across his face.

How has he resisted him all this time?

"See? Don't you think it looks great?" Noctis realizes Prompto is holding the picture out to him, but Noctis was spacing out.

"Oh! Yeah, Prom, it looks awesome." He's not lying. All of Prompto's pictures look amazing, the only problem Noctis has is Prompto often can't photograph himself, and he's the best subject.

The sun is starting to set, and they make their way to the strip, lights line the streets, making it look like day time practically. "Man this place is so freaking cool! But... I dunno if I could live here."

"You know, a lot of people say that about New York," Noctis teases, watching Prompto grab different angles of various signs.

"Yeah, but New York has a weird... charm... something about this place seems sleazy?" he says.

"You're not wrong," Noctis says, shrugging his shoulders. So far, Vegas is a little underwhelming, though he's having fun seeing Prompto's pictures..

Prompto points at the fake Eiffel Tower in the distance. "I can't believe _that_ is here," he snorts. "I gotta get a picture up there."

Along the way, they pass a few chapels and Prompto smirks, "Maybe we should get fake married, Noct," he gestures to a bright pink church, lit up with a neon sign. "Y'know, 'what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas'."

Noctis is smacked in the face by an image of Prompto in a white suit, walking down the aisle and he has to swallow, his teeth pressing into his lip.

He takes a deep breath and shakes his head. "I got news for you Prom, marriage in Vegas is real marriage."

"What?! It is!? I thought these were all jokes!" he says, gesturing to a few of the other chapels on the street.

"Nope. If you get married here, you're married."

"Dang! Well that wouldn't be so bad, right?" he smirks.

Noctis' eyes widen and he blinks a few times. "You... serious, Prom?"

Prompto stares back at him, his skin glowing under the neon pink sign.

"N-No... ha-ha," he laughs awkwardly. "It was just a joke. C'mon let's go to the top of the Eiffel Tower!"

Noctis follows Prompto silently. He doesn't want to make things more awkward than they already are, but Prompto's joke is weighing heavily on his mind. Was it a joke? He think of Cindy and his 'chance'... maybe this whole time...

At the top of the fake Eiffel Tower, there are couples everywhere... Men with their arms around their girl, two boys holding hands as they point out the sights, two girls pecking for a selfie. It makes Noctis inwardly groan. Prompto doesn't even seem to notice either. He keeps taking pictures of the various sights, getting an overhead view of the fountain. Of course, he takes a few selfies and forces Noctis to be in a few, but really Noctis is just about ready for that drink.

He didn't think he would care about getting drunk in Vegas, but his mind won't stop reeling. Vegas feels like a slap in his damn face.

Couples are everywhere. Who knew Vegas was a city for couples?! Noctis figured there would be tons of friends and groups, but when he looks around, all he can see are people holding hands, kissing... snuggling...

Maybe he's being overly sensitive...

They head down to the fountain, which, once again, is surrounded by more couples. With the sun having set by now, the water show is beginning, spouts of water shooting into the air. The water dances about, light droplets sprinkling the warm spring air and Prompto gets a few amazing shots of the formations.

They take pictures together in front of it, and Noctis tries to ignore the people kissing when romantic music echoes outside.

Vegas has turned into a torturous hell.

"You okay Noct?" Prompto asks, lowering his camera once the water stops.

"Uh, yeah," he says, rubbing his cheek. "I was just thinking maybe we should uh... participate in Vegas activities?"

"Gambling?" Prompto smirks. "Let's do it!"

They head back to their hotel to gamble, since they get a discount for staying there.

"Hey kids, y'wanna play?" A woman stands behind one of the blackjack tables, gray hair curled in large ponytails that brush against the back of her neck, her breasts resting perfectly in her red dress.

Aranea Highwind, her name tag reads.

"Yeah!" Noctis says, no longer caring after the day he's had.

Noctis slams money down on the table. His father has always offered him money, but Noctis usually rejects it, trying to make due for himself while he's at school. His father pays for enough already. But tonight, he uses the card his father gave him and pulls out a chunk of money. He orders a drink, a strong one.

Why the hell not? They're in Vegas, and Vegas has just kicked Noctis in the ass.

"Wow!" Prompto laughs, and orders a drink for. himself. "You're really not holding back tonight."

Noctis shrugs. "We are on vacation... and we don't have to leave early for L.A tomorrow so... why not!"

"You're right! We gotta live it up."

Noctis wonders what would happen if he just got really drunk and told Prompto everything he was feeling? Would that make L.A awkward? Probably.

"Alright boys," Aranea says with a smirk. "What you wanna do?"

"I wanna stay," Prompto says. "I mean, I got 19, hitting would just be stupid."

"Hit me," Noctis says, taking a chance. He's good at those, except when they involve Prompto.

The sound of slot machines and laughter echo in the casino room. The sounds pierce Noctis ear, and the more he drinks the more muffled everything seems to get.

"Hit me!" Noctis says, slamming his palm down on the table. He's only had about 3 drinks, and damn, he knows he's a lightweight, but he does feel a little ridiculous right now.

"Are you sure, Noct?" Prompto hisses. "You've got 17 points sitting there."

"Why not? Vegas Baby!" Noctis yells, swaying against the table.

"Jeez, Noct, you okay?" Prompto asks, leaning towards him.

Gosh his face is so cute. His bright eyes are filled with concern, his freckles backlit by his own rosy cheeks. Prompto's probably a little tipsy, but he's nowhere near Noctis' level of drunk.

"I'm fine, Prom. Just having fun! Here in Vegas, with you, surrounded by lots of people and plenty of people kissing and being all cute and whatever," he slurs.

Prompto frowns and shakes his head. "Let's finish up this round and get you upstairs."

"Aw c'mon Prom! We're having fun."

"Mmm I think blondie is right," Aranea says. "I'm cutting you off."

"Yeah I think maybe you're having too much fun," Prompto says.

Noctis loses at blackjack. Badly. And he's not really sure the outcome of his money, but Prompto grabs their chips and helps Noctis off the seat.

"Take care of that one, y'hear?" Aranea winks. "I think he'd be sad if you didn't."

Noctis feels his face flush. Way to out him, Aranea! Had she noticed something too, like all the other people they've come across?

"Don't worry, I care too much about him to not help him," Prompto smiles, wrapping his arm around Noctis to balance him.

"Good," she smiles knowingly and Noctis hopes he forgets this entire exchange.

"I gotcha bud," Prompto says, adjusting them so Noctis can stumble walk through the hall. Prompto is so close, holding him up, and Noctis lets out a long sigh. He wishes they could be this close all the time.

"You're the best friend a guy could ask for," Noctis says, gently patting Prompto's chest.

"Dude, you're really wasted. This is the most drunk I've seen you in awhile."

"Vegas Baby!" Noctis repeats, and Prompto giggles.

"I'm starting to see why that was maybe annoying you in the car."

He helps him to his room and Noctis practically collapses in the bed, his face sinking into the comfortable pillow. "C'mon Prom... we gotta get some rest before we go to your wall tomorrow," he yawns, his eyes fluttering shut.

Stupid alcohol, making him so damn tired... he wants to cuddle with Prompto. They're sharing a bed... so why can't he just wrap his arms around him and pull him close to his chest? He never wants to let Prompto go. Never ever. Not now, not when schools done. Never.

Prompto is the last thing he thinks about when he drifts off into a deep sleep.

Only about two hours pass before Noctis wakes up and has to pee. He supposes it was inevitable, except the worst part is, he's definitely still drunk. His body feels woozy and he has a moment when he walks to the bathroom where he worries he might be drunk forever.

Dang, that would be awful.

He stumbles back to bed, and flops against the pillow, realizing Prompto has rolled towards the center of the bed, his eyes shut, lips slightly parted as his chest rises and falls. He's completely asleep and Noctis can't stop himself from reaching forward and brushing his fingers over Prompto's bangs.

He leans towards him, realizing he could kiss Prompto, and the blond would most likely be none the wiser. He moves forward, his breath tickling Prompto's lips and he wonders what Prompto would taste like... maybe like those strawberries he smelled on him earlier.

His eyes widen as he realizes their lips are just inches away from touching and he jerks back, rolling away from his best friend.

Noctis has wanted to kiss Prompto for as long as he can remember... but not like this. Not drunk... not with Prompto being _asleep_ for it!

He clutches his hand to his chest.

Glancing back at Prompto, the blond is definitely still sleeping, and he has no idea Noctis almost stole a kiss from his perfectly cute lips.

This is why he doesn't drink often... if he's around Prompto, he's sure to lose himself.

Vegas, baby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> VEGAS BABY! This is admittedly my favorite chapter so far. I had so much fun writing it... Noctis is going to hit an edge and we're almost in L.A! :3 Thank you so much to Janie for beta-ing :) I hope you guys enjoy my fav chapter :D


	9. California Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis and Prompto take a small detour when they reach California.

Even though he gets to sleep in, Noctis feels like absolute shit the next morning for a whole slew of reasons he really does not want to admit. He _almost_ wishes he was one of those people who could just blackout and forget everything that happened the night before.

Instead, he trudges to the car, wallowing in his embarrassment over getting way too drunk.

"You, uh, sure you're okay to drive Noct?" Prompto says, keeping his voice down. Noctis has already yelled at him twice about keeping his voice quieter.

"Ugh... I'll be fine," he mutters. "Never let me drink alcohol again."

"Never?" Prompto asks. "Not even one or two drinks here or there?"

"Never," Noctis repeats, and flops down into the car. "In a few hours, we're going to be in California, and then we can check in to the hotel and I can die."

"Please don't die Noct, I can't drive the car back to New York without you!" Prompto gasps, climbing into the seat next to him.

"Ha-ha," Noctis mumbles.

As much as his head hurts, he realizes his heart hurts more. It feels heavy in his chest, pounding in his ears as he thinks on how stupid he was the night before. Prompto doesn't even know about it, but Noctis can't get over the fact he almost kissed him.

"Noct? You sure you're okay?" Prompto asks, looking at him with such concern.

"Yeah, Prom, I'm fine I swear. Just trying to get over this hangover."

He doesn't want to talk about it. He doesn't know what to say without straight out confessing. But maybe he should... they've only got a few more days on this road trip, and maybe it's time to consider getting things off his chest. Prompto's his best friend, there's no way he'll be weird about it... not to Noctis.

Right?

The car ride is quiet. Noctis can't imagine listening to music or really even talking right now, his head is throbbing, even after taking medicine. Guilt floods over him, knowing Prompto is probably so thrilled to almost be to California. Their destination is practically in sight, and Noctis swallows. They've come so far and the last thing he wants to do is ruin this for Prompto in any way.

"Oh man, Noct!" Prompto gasps, looking down at his phone.

"What’s wrong?" Noctis says, trying his best to keep his eyes on the road.

"Did…" he pauses, taking a deep breath. "Did you know the giant sequoia trees are in California?!"

"What?" he blinks. "That's what's wrong?"

"No... I mean... nothing is _wrong_ , but we gotta go!" Prompto says.

"But... we're supposed to make it to L.A today!? How far away are these trees?" he asks, keeping his eyes fixated on the road. According to the GPS they've got almost three and a half hours left in the car.

"Okay... it would add an extra... I dunno... 2 hours to our drive, but it Noctis, I'm telling you... it will be so worth it! They're _huge_! You won't even be able to hug one."

"Prom, I know what kind of trees you're talking about," he sighs. He knows he's going to say yes. They planned on going to the walls tomorrow, so it's not as if getting to the hotel a little later will matter.

"I _know_ you're totally hungover, and this is probably the worst time to ask you for a spontaneous change, but... I really think we gotta Noct! This whole trip is about discovering new things, taking risks, exploring the world!"

Noctis raises an eyebrow.

"Okay, the U.S isn't the world, but you know what I mean."

"Yeah..." Noctis sighs. L.A is going to be crowded and Noctis thinks his head could use some fresh air. "Alright," he says.

"I'm sorry, Noct... you're probably exhausted."

"Eh," Noctis shrugs. "I'm going to be tired either way, might as well go see some big ass trees," he smirks.

It takes a little extra time to get there, but the look on Prompto's face is so worth it when they pull into the parking lot of the large park. The trees are far up the path, but Prompto is looking at the forest with such awe, like he's never seen such grandeur in nature before.

"You're really excited about these trees," Noctis teases, stepping out of the car.

"Dude, they're gonna be so huge! We can get pictures of us in front of them, looking like tiny little ant people!" he laughs. "Gonna be fun to play with perspective."

"I guess I didn't think of that," Noctis says. "I don't have that artist brain like you do."

"Aw c'mon, Noct! Don't sell yourself so short!" Prompto laughs. "You've taken plenty of nice pictures when I've been around."

"I think I'll leave photography up to you."

The two of them head up the path, following the winding dirt and other happy families and friends visiting the site together. It's lively, and decently hot for a spring day, but Noctis supposes southern California stays warm this time of year... nothing like New York, which can stay cold until May sometimes. Noctis snorts at the thought; the cold is something he certainly does not miss.

"NOCT, LOOK!" Prompto says so loud, gesturing to the giant tree in front of them. It's toppled over, the roots sticking up high in the air. "These roots are ginormous!" He snaps a few pictures from afar, but immediately runs over.

There's a small sign next to it, explaining how it fell, due to natural causes thankfully. As cool as the roots are, Noctis thinks it's a little tragic, seeing this large, majestic tree, toppled to the ground. It's beautiful actually; the way the roots dance up towards the sky, dirt coating the bottom. It's been this way for years apparently...

"Get a picture!" Prompto says, handing his camera to Noctis. "I wanna make it look like I'm ensnared in the roots."

He poses, putting his hand in front of one gnarly looking root. He twists his leg around and makes a terrified face. Noctis can't help but laugh. He's never met someone so full of energy. In a way, this forest is perfect for Prompto, surrounded by trees that feel larger than life.

Prompto's presence can often feel that way.

Prompto really does look tiny compared to the trees though, but Noctis thinks he looks cute, posing all scared.

"Maybe we should take one together?" Prompto says.

This time, they take a selfie together, posing in front of the roots, pointing up towards them as if they're about to attack their heads.

"Scary," Noctis says. "If only it was night, it would be perfect for Halloween next year."

"Man, I know," Prompto sighs. "I guess we'll have to settle for this."

"Guess so," Noctis replies, nudging his side.

"Are you feeling any better?" Prompto asks.

"Yeah," Noctis sighs, stretching up as they continue along the path. "I think I needed some fresh air."

"Hey, Noct," Prompto mutters, his fingers tracing over the edge of his camera. "Thanks for doing this. I mean... for coming to the sequoia trees, but also for the whole trip. I know this probably isn't how you wanted to be spending your spring break, but I really appreciate you coming with me and _driving_ us..."

Noctis flushes as he watches Prompto awkwardly fumble with his words. He's so cute when he gets so shy and genuine like this. Noctis loves seeing more vulnerable sides to Prompto.

He wonders if the blond feels guilty for making his hungover ass drive out of the way an extra two hours. Honestly, seeing Prompto like this makes it all worth it.

"Don't sweat it," Noctis says. "I wanted to come. If we hadn't done this, I probably would've spent spring break asleep on your couch while you played video games."

Prompto cackles, tossing his head back with a loud laugh. "You're not wrong."

"Yeah, this way we're getting to see the world," Noctis teases.

Snorting, Prompto is about to retort, but he jumps back the moment he sees it. A giant tree that covers the pathway. They're able to walk right under it, the roots hovering over the path. Prompto looks like he's just about to explode with excitement.

There have been a lot of big trees on the way up to this one, but this path covering tree is _enormous_...

Apparently they haven't even made it to the largest one.

Prompto runs immediately under the tree and starts snapping pictures of the underbelly. "Man... this tree must be ancient to be this huge. Imagine if you got to see all these years!" Prompto says.

"I dunno..." Noctis shrugs. "It might be kind of tiring to live that long."

"If you were with me, I think I'd be fine," Prompto giggles, continuing onward up the path.

Noctis stands under the tree, wondering if the roots will snap and crush his entire being. He simultaneously hates and loves when Prompto says stuff like that. He hates wondering if Prompto feels the same, but he loves hearing the words.

As they climb up the path, Prompto taking more pictures of larger trees here and there, Noctis can't stop thinking about what Cindy said, about what Ravus assumed. Did he and Prompto look like a couple? Maybe when they did silly touristy stuff like this they did?

He hates thinking he has a chance... he wants to get over this more than anything. And maybe the best way to do that is to tell him.

"Noct! Hurry! I can see the base of the large tree!" Prompto says, gesturing excitedly.

Noctis can't help but think a giant burden would be lifted if he could just come out and say it.

"W-Wow!" Prompto breathes, lowering his camera as he looks up at the large tree. "I can't believe this is it. It looks... like a monster... like I could fit 20 regular trees in there!"

They eagerly wait their turn for a chance to stand in front of the tree.

"Okay Noct!" Prompto calls out. "Back up as far as you can so it looks like I'm super tiny against this huge tree.

"No matter where I stand you're gonna look tiny," Noctis mutters, but he does as Prompto says, snapping a few pictures. Prompto adjusts, standing directly in front of it, as if he's doing a direct comparison of how tall he is compared to the tree which doesn't even fit in the whole shot.

"You look good!" Noctis calls out. He always looks good, but his face is filled with such joy over this simple tree, Noctis can't even begin to describe the feelings wishing to burst out of his mouth.

"Noct, you come here!" Prompto calls out. He takes his camera back, grabbing a stranger to get a picture of them. First, they take a normal one, standing in front of the tree. But then, Prompto hugs one side of the tree and Noctis hugs the other, as if they're trying to reach for each other.

Noctis can't see Prompto from this side, the tree is far too huge, and he hates it. He hates the idea of hugging Prompto with something so large blocking them in between. He wants to reach for Prompto and grab him, and hold him as tight as he can. He never wants to let him go. He hates trying to do the impossible, hoping eventually he'll reach him.

He doesn't like being blocked... especially when it's himself doing said blocking.

He can't keep doing this to himself. Tree or no tree, Noctis has to try.

Prompto pulls away and takes his camera back, flipping through the photos. "Man, these look great... though you look a little grouchy in this one Noct," he teases.

Noctis shrugs because he knows he probably was... kind of still is. He's ready to get to L.A.

"Should we... head back to the car?" Noctis suggest.

Dramatically, Prompto leans against the tree. "I'll miss this old timer!" he says.

Noctis shakes his head and gently pats the tree. "Thanks bud," he mutters. This damn tree helped him make up his mind.

"Did you just thank it?" Prompto asks, tilting his head.

"Yeah... you know... for giving us good pictures," Noctis shrugs trying to play it casual as they had back to the car.

"Yeah I really got some great ones!"

They admire the trees back down on the way car, and Noctis feels a wave of exhaustion run over him. He's got a lot to think about... a lot to plan. He can't wait to be in their L.A hotel, comfortable on his bed.

At the car, Prompto stands next to it, waiting for Noctis to unlock it. "So..." Prompto says, hovering his hand over the door handle of the car. "Should we finally get to L.A?"

Noctis nods, unlocking the door to get into the car for their last stretch of drive. "Yeah."

Noctis has finally decided; when they get to the Pink Wall... he's going to tell Prompto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyy they finally made it to California! I can't wait for the next chapter tbh ;) this transition was needed tho!! <3 Thank you to Janie for reading this ahead and Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate!


	10. California Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto finally sees the Pink Wall.

Driving into L.A. feels like hell on Earth. There are so many cars and the highways are so damn wide. Noctis has driven in New York City plenty of times, which is its own branch of hell, but this is completely different. Cars seem to stack and the red brake lights feel incredibly evil.

"Man," Prompto sighs, "they were not kidding when they said L.A. had bad traffic." He lets out a long whine and longingly glances out the window. "Feels like we should've been there hours ago!"

"Well _someone_ had to stop to look at trees all afternoon."

"Hey man! That stop was worth it and you know it!" Prompto laughs.

"It was pretty nice."

Noctis does have to thank to the trees for convincing him to confess his feelings to Prompto. He hasn't done it yet, but he sure as hell plans on it.

"See!?" Prompto says, nudging his shoulder. "You loved it."

"But I sure as hell hate this," Noctis snorts, glancing at the angry red lights in front of him.

Noctis no longer enjoys being at a stand-still, that's the real problem. This entire trip he's been stuck in the same place with his and Prompto's relationship. They've traveled across the country, and yet Noctis feels like he has barely taken a step. The traffic glares at him, reminding him of all the frustrations he's felt every step along the way.

But not anymore.

Tomorrow, he and Prompto will stand in front of the stupid Pink Wall Prompto's been dying to see and Noctis will finally let out all the emotions he's felt inside.

He can only pray Prompto still wants to talk to him after all is said and done. Actually, maybe there's a small part of him praying Prompto will want him too, but Noctis doesn't want to hold his breath.

The hotel Noctis chose overlooks the Santa Monica pier and they're about twenty minutes away from downtown L.A. sans traffic (which there always is, so really it's more like forty minutes). However, the Pink Wall is actually in Hollywood and Noctis has little desire to stay for a long time there. It's a tourist trap, for people hoping to sell cheap souvenirs to idiot tourists who think they can catch a glimpse of an actual celebrity if they walk the Walk of Fame for long enough.

It only takes them another hour to make it past downtown L.A. to Santa Monica, and Noctis has never been so happy to see a bed in his whole damn life. After the exhausting day in Vegas and nursing his hangover while he drove to L.A. with the detour, Noctis feels like he's just about ready to collapse.

"Man, I can't tell if this is the best hotel we've stayed in, or if I'm just really exhausted!" Prompto sighs, flopping back onto his bed.

Noctis falls forward, his face burying into a pillow. "I think I'm going to die I'm so tired."

"You know Noct," Prompto hums, the light from his phone illuminating his face. "The Pink Wall is technically open 24/7, so we could go look at it right now-"

"No," Noctis states flatly and turns to face the wall. He's exhausted, and he needs the mental recharge before he rushes into telling Prompto everything he's been feeling for the last few damn years.

"Okay, okay!" Prompto laughs. "I promise it was just a joke!"

"Oh really?" Noctis hums, rolling his head to the side to look at Prompto's bed. "So you're telling me if I got up and said 'Let's go right now!', you would tell me you were too tired?"

"Yes," Prompto nods. "I would."

"Suuuure," he sighs.

"Alright, _princess_ ," Prompto teases. "I forgot that you need your beauty rest."

"After driving your ass around all day, I do," he smirks and shuts his eyes. It's barely 10 PM, but they've got big plans tomorrow, and Noctis' plans are even bigger.

Still, as tired as he is, anxiety courses through his veins. He can hear Prompto next to him, gently tapping on his phone; knowing him he's probably too excited to sleep. Noctis can't bring himself to talk to Prompto though... he's too nervous he’ll blurt out his feelings if he keeps speaking too much.

Noctis is a man of little words, and there are only so many he can use to distract himself from what he really wishes to say.

His mind keeps playing various scenarios over and over. Prompto will take all his pictures and force Noctis to be in a few. Eventually Noctis will say all his feelings and then they can both be awkward when Prompto rejects him.

He runs through various scenarios in his mind; telling him in front of the wall, telling him while he's taking a picture, spelling it out with his body somehow? No... that was the dumbest idea he's had in a long time.

Though he’s expecting rejection, he hates the small sliver of hope he has that maybe, just maybe, Prompto has feelings for him.

As he finally drifts off to sleep, he wonders how tomorrow will play out when Prompto finally, once and for all, knows what Noctis has been thinking this whole damn time.

~~

"PINK WALL!"

Noctis is abruptly awoken by Prompto's cheer and he groans, folding the pillow over his ears. "I just want one day of sleep."

"Noct, this is the day we've been waiting for!"

"You."

"What?"

"The day you've been waiting for."

Prompto flops down on Noctis' bed, draping his body over Noctis' legs. "Yes, but you're coming with me. It wouldn't be fun if I went alone."

He grunts when the bed sinks more under Prompto's weight. "And you need me to drive you."

"Technically I could Uber but... who wants to do that! Besides, you have to be in some of my pictures," he says, and pushes himself off the bed. "I'm gonna get ready."

"Alright..." Noctis grumbles.

A sense of dread fills his stomach. Today is the day... and nothing is going to stop him, especially not his own goddamn nerves.

Thankfully, he does get a bit more time in bed, since Prompto takes years to get ready. When Prompto doesn't re-emerge from the bathroom after almost 30 minutes, Noctis forces himself out of bed to go check on him.

"Prom..." he mumbles, scratching at his stomach. "What is taking you so long?" He peers into the bathroom, only to find Prompto styling his hair, probably for the tenth time. His fingers glide through his blond locks, sweeping it up.

"I'm getting ready!" he exclaims.

"For thirty minutes?" Noctis says.

"Noct," Prompto sighs. "We drove all the way across the country for these pictures. They gotta look perfect!"

Noctis sighs, leaning against the door frame. "You do look perfect," he says softly, and Noctis means it. The words slipped from his lips unexpectedly, and Noctis’ cheeks flush.

"You don't mean that, you just want me to hurry up!" he sighs, folding his arms across his chest.

"No... you look fine, you goof," Noctis rolls his eyes, trying to play it as cool as possible.

"B-But I..." Prompto stammers, blushing so hard. It makes him look even more perfect. He turns towards the mirror. "Maybe you're right."

The two make their way to the car and Noctis feels his heart throbbing all over his body. He knows he can survive, but he feels like his body is about to explode behind the wheel.

"L.A. is such a weird city," Prompto muses, looking at the traffic as he stares out the window.

"Yeah? It kind of seems like a place you would like," Noctis admits. Everyone in California feels so wild and free... it suits Prompto.

"I don't think I could live here," he chuckles. "New York is more dynamic, better for the types of pictures I wanna take."

There Prompto goes again, reaffirming Noctis he won't be leaving.

"Yeah, New York is better, for sure," Noctis agrees, partially because he doesn't want Prompto to start thinking the opposite.

The closer the GPS leads them to Melrose... the more Noctis' palms begin to sweat. Prompto is talking about various poses he wants to try... and he wonders if there will be a line... or if they'll have to pay. Noctis gives him half-assed answers as he tries to focus on the road in front of him... on the goals in front of him.

"We're almost there!" Prompto cheers, thrusting his phone up into the air. "I can't believe it!"

By now, they've probably driven almost 3,000 miles to get to this point. 3,000 miles for Prompto to take a few pictures.

And yet... it's so much more than that. Images of the trip flood Noctis' mind and he knows this is the right thing to do... so much has built to this... the diner, a Ferris Wheel, Mount Rushmore... his jealousy of their tour guide, Gladiolus, Cindy's advice, Ravus' assumptions, dealing with Vegas, and hugging a tree... everything feels so goddamn clear.

"I SEE IT!" Prompto shouts and points his finger towards the windshield.

It stands there, like a beacon of pure _pink_ as the two of them drive down the street, heading directly towards it. It’s about three stories tall, shining against the hot L.A. sun. The glint in Prompto's eyes is as pink as the wall itself, excitement radiating off of him.

Noctis' heart flutters. Prompto has been waiting for this. They both have, truthfully... a rush of emotions about to come to a head.

It really is a pink wall... the end of the line... the place where all of Prompto's dreams will come true, and Noctis will bare his heart.

It's all so very real.

They pull into the parking lot where a few groups of people are posing in front of the wall, snapping pics. Most of them are taking selfies, but some of them are getting the parking lot attendant to snap a pic or two for them. There is a small line and Prompto rushes from the car to stand in it.

A girl with short dark hair bounces up and down in front of them. "I came from Wyoming!" she says. "My brother and I are visiting some family friends," she laughs. "He refused to come with me."

"Lame! This is the coolest part of L.A.!" Prompto chuckles. "We came all the way from New York City!" he poses proudly, like the distance is an accomplishment. Somewhere behind them, Noctis is sure he hears someone say they came from Europe, but he decides to keep his mouth shut, wanting Prompto to keep his pride.

"Wow! New York City! That's so far. I'm Iris by the way..."

Noctis tunes the girl out as he stares at the wall looming in front of him. Some of the wall casts a shadow on the parking lot and the wall itself isn't completely illuminated by the sun.

They keep moving closer and closer.

"Dude Noctis, did you hear Iris!?" Prompto says and gently hits Noctis' arm.

"Eh? What?" he says, pulling his gaze away from the wall.

"That guy, Gladio? He's her brother! Gladio's here in L.A. too! He never told us he was coming!"

"Yeah, I kinda dragged him into it in the last minute," Iris giggles. "He hates leaving Yellowstone."

Noctis can't believe what he's hearing. Gladio is in town? Gladio?! Hell no.

It's finally their turn and Noctis wraps his fingers around Prompto's wrist. He tugs him forward and Prompto stumbles. "Woah! Noct! You're really eager!"

"Yup," he says and Prompto fixes himself, rushing towards the wall.

He runs up to it so fast, pressing his palms against it. "I can't believe we finally made it to you!" he squeals and pushes his cheek against it.

"Stay like that..." Noctis chuckles, and reaches into Prompto's back pocket, snagging his phone to snap a quick pic. "You'll thank me later."

"I'm sure I will!" Prompto says, keeping one hand touching the wall as he stares up at it. "We're about to have a damn good time together."

All they need is some fun music, and Noctis swears they would be something out of a movie montage. Prompto steals his phone back to snap a couple of selfies, holding his fingers up in a peace sign. He's smiling so happily, Noctis can't help but smile too. Prompto's smile is always infectious like that. He hands the phone back to Noctis and Noctis takes a few of Prompto jumping into the air, standing in a star pose, crossing his legs with his back leaned against the wall.

Prompto really is the perfect picture subject. His blond hair and freckles pop against the bright pink, and he looks so damn handsome, his face turned to the side as he stares seriously at nothing. Noctis can't help but blush, his cheeks matching the color of the wall.

Noctis wonders what Prompto’s face will look like when he finally tells him.

"Noct!" Prompto waves, breaking him from the daze. "Get over here! I gotta take a few of you."

"Ugh..." he groans, but he does it for Prompto. They drove all this way after all.

Prompto sets him in different positions, and a few Noctis ruins by doing silly dramatic poses.

"Noct!" he whines. "You're not being serious! Let's do a few together."

"Okay, okay," Noctis chuckles. The tension is tight in his body. He knows they're almost done with this photo shoot. Prompto will probably take a few selfies of the two of them and then they'll be moving on to another, fun, L.A. wall.

Prompto wraps his arm around Noctis' neck, pulling him close as he holds his phone out. "Say cheese, Noct!"

"..." He tries to smile, but his smiles are always a little awkward. Nothing like the brightness that are Prompto's.

"Do you want me to take a few for you?!" Iris calls out and Noctis suddenly remembers she's there, which means Gladio could show up at any moment.

"Yeah!" Prompto cheers, and dashes over to hand his phone to her. "We gotta document our long trip!"

"Alright!" she says, and her hands hold Prompto's phone as she raises it to center them in the frame.

Noctis purses his lips. What if Gladio shows up to meet Iris and ruins everything? What if he can't say what he needs to say to Prompto!?

"This really has been the best trip, buddy!" Prompto says, smiling at him. He slings his arm around Noctis' shoulder and pulls him close, their noses practically touching.

It's then Noctis decides.

There's only one thing to do.

"Say cheese!"

Instead of saying anything, Noctis presses his lips to Prompto's, pulling him into a surprise kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I only have about 3 chapters left!! I'm so excited to see this fic to the end! I'm really looking forward to the next chapter cause I'm doing something a little different and I think people will enjoy it! :)


	11. California Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto reflects.

Prompto Argentum never would've expected to be friends with Noctis Lucis Caelum. First off, the boy was beautiful... just stunning, and if Prompto hadn't been certain he was gay, he was certainly certain now.

Somehow they became friends. Prompto was eager and excited and Noctis always went along with it. They were friends faster than Prompto could blink and they were inseparable. Though they were in completely different majors they always tried to take classes together when they could. If not, they studied together anyway, and by their second year, they became roommates.

Somewhere along the way, Prompto fell in love.

Admittedly, it wasn't actually that vague. Prompto could pinpoint the exact moment he realized he was in love with Noctis.

It was such a stupid moment, too.

Noctis held a coffee mug up to his lips. "I gotta do it, Prom," he muttered. "I'm never gonna be able to stay up if I don't drink this stuff..." Both of them knew Noctis was incredibly susceptible to falling asleep at random intervals, especially when he was studying things less than interesting.

"You got this, buddy!" Prompto said, cheering him on.

It was then—when Noctis took a sip and his nose crinkled as though he just tasted the worst thing in the world—when Prompto knew. His cheeks were flushed and his nose looked so damn cute and Prompto could only think one thing:

_'Shit, I'm in love.'_

And no matter how hard he tried, Prompto could never tell him, so nothing ever changed.

~~

The Pink Wall road trip had started off selfish, Prompto knew that. Everything about the damn thing was selfish. _He_ wanted to take the best Instagram pictures ever. _He_ wanted to see the country. _He_ wanted to spend more time with Noctis...

And yet Noctis had agreed. He planned everything, more than Prompto could've imagined. The hotels, the trip, and he'd thought about all the places Prompto might like to visit.

Prompto got the feeling that maybe Noctis had feelings for him, too.

Well, there were times before when Prompto received a hint or two here and there, but the trip really solidified things.

He knew he probably should've told Noctis how he felt. There were... a decent number of chances. The Ferris wheel in Chicago or the entirety of their time in Vegas when they were drowning, surrounded by other couples.

There were so many times, and yet... Prompto couldn't bring himself to say anything. Every time he thought to, his throat would close up and his palms would get all sweaty. Noctis was so beautiful; so perfect, even if he himself didn't think so.

Prompto didn't think he would ever be good enough for his best friend. How could he be? Noctis came from a wealthy business family, and eventually, he would be taking _over_ said company. Prompto was a poor boy who was, apparently, hoping to stay poor as he struggled to be a photographer in New York City. Real unique. Prompto knew there wasn’t much room in Noctis' life for him, but he wanted to be there nonetheless.

It was these thoughts that made Prompto flirt with someone like Gladiolus, because he was probably more in his league, right? But even then, Prompto could tell Noctis didn't like seeing it, and the guilt ate away at him, especially when he couldn't bring himself to just take Noctis' hand and hold him tight.

It always made him laugh when Noctis would suggest Prompto live somewhere else besides New York. Yeah, admittedly, New York wasn't the best, but it was where Noctis was, so it was where Prompto's heart resided.

When they finally made it to the wall, as pink and as grand as it was, Prompto actually felt a little... sad. He masked it well by talking to Iris and getting excited for pictures, but something about the tall, looming Pink Wall in front of him made him realize this adventure was almost over. Sure, they had the drive back, but they weren't really stopping anywhere.

Going back home meant they were about to graduate, which meant Noctis would be obligated to work for his father's company and Prompto would enjoy life as a freelancer.

Every picture he took seemed to go in slow motion. He posed Noctis against the wall, watching his beautiful expression change from annoyance to acceptance, and he snapped the shots in what felt like slow motion.

Noctis' pale skin looked beautiful against the Pink Wall and Prompto wondered what it would feel like against his fingertips.

"Do you want me to take a few for you?!" Iris suggested and Prompto's heart started throbbing faster in his chest. Of course he wanted a picture of the two of them together! It was kinda the whole purpose of this trip.

One last hurrah.

He smiled handing the camera off to her, and he turned to Noctis, "This really has been the best trip, buddy!" He meant those words, from the bottom of his heart. He couldn't imagine taking a trip like this with anyone else.

"Say cheese!" Iris called out and Prompto smiled, the widest, happiest smile he could ever muster, and then...

Lips were on his lips, and his eyes widened as Noctis kissed him.

Noctis...

Kissed...

Him...

Prompto actually couldn't believe it. Noctis' lips were pressed against his own! Well, he had to do _something_.

So, he kissed back. He closed his eyes, and gently put pressure against Noctis' lips, wrapping a hand around his waist.

And when Noctis pulled back, Prompto could only say one thing.

"Wow..."

~~

Noctis is floating. A true out of body experience. Somehow, kissing Prompto feels right, and somehow, Prompto is kissing him back.

And then he pulls away, and Prompto only says. "Wow."

It's a reverent 'Wow,' like he's just experienced the greatest thing in the world.

"Wow!" Iris cheers, bouncing up and down. "I didn't realize you two were together! We gotta take more romantic pictures then!" she laughs.

"Oh, we're not-" Noctis begins to protest, like he always does. This time, Prompto slings his arm around Noctis' neck.

"Yeah! We gotta!" he agrees, and Noctis feels his cheeks heat up.

"O-Okay..." Noctis says.

"Just, uh, give us one minute!" Prompto calls out and turns to Noctis. "I... really wanna kiss you again," he admits, his freckles illuminating with red.

"Y-You do?!" Noctis says.

"Duh! I've wanted to kiss you the entire trip! And for like _months_ before it!" Prompto exclaims.

"Oh..." Noctis mutters and suddenly feels foolish. This whole time he's been pining and worrying, and Prompto was thinking the same goddamn thing as him. He bursts out laughing.

"Noct? Buddy? You okay?" Prompto asks, gently placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah... Yeah," he laughs. "I just can't believe all this time we've..."

"Not been kissing each other? I know," Prompto says, grinning.

"So... what does this mean...?" Noctis says. It's a question he doesn't really want to ask. Not yet. They have a few more days on this trip, and who knows what Prompto will want to do when they get back to New York, and Noctis has to-

"I think it means I love you," Prompto says, taking Noctis' hands in his own.

He stares for a moment, shifting his gaze from Prompto's face to his hands. What? He does?

Noctis feels his cheeks flush so hard. "I... I love you too, Prompto." He can't help it. He leans forward and brushes their lips together again. In the background, he hears Iris giggle again and she's probably snapping pictures of this moment, which Noctis is more than okay with. He honestly hopes he can remember this forever.

"So uh, does this make you my boyfriend?" Prompto laughs.

"If... you want to be?" Noctis nods.

"Hell yeah!!" Prompto cheers, and he slings his arm around Noctis' neck. "Noctis is my boyfriend!"

Noctis can't help but laugh as Prompto announces it to the world. Or well, the people hanging out at the Pink Wall.

A few people clap, and Iris cheers, holding Prompto's camera up. "It's picture time!"

"Hell yes it is!" Prompto drags Noctis towards a spot on the Pink Wall and kisses him again. This time, though it's planned, Noctis almost stumbles back. He presses his hand against the wall, his fingers splayed against the pink.

He can't help but love this stupid wall now; he loves how it brought him and Prompto together.

And for that, he will treasure it always.

~~

"We gotta explore more!" Prompto declares, once they're done with the Pink Wall. They say goodbye to Iris, and Noctis honestly forgets all about Gladio he's so damn happy right now.

Apparently, there are other walls scattered around L.A. Noctis is particularly fond of the California Dreaming wall because it feels like all his dreams have come true here in California. Lame. Such a lame thought.

But turning to look at Prompto smiling next to him, Noctis kind of doesn't care.

Their fingers lace together as they drive from spot to spot. Each time, they rush out of the car, snap some pics and move on.

It's getting late, the spring sun starting to set and Noctis has one final suggestion.

"Do you wanna go watch the sunset on the Santa Monica pier?"

Prompto's face lights up and he nods excitedly.

They're close to Santa Monica, one of the polka dotted walls is right by the beach, so Noctis drives down the Pacific Coast Highway, pulling into the pier parking lot.

"Wow..." Prompto breathes. "It looks just like all the movies!"

"Yup, I thought you would like this place," Noctis laughs.

To be completely honest, the pier isn't a place Noctis is all that fond of. It's kind of a tourist trap, the games and rides are a little overpriced, and there are always a large number of people. But seeing Prompto look so excited about everything is worth it.

It feels like they're returning to where their journey began, and Noctis flashes back to Chicago and how cute Prompto was on the Navy Pier. It's almost the same, but this time, Prompto runs all the way down to the end of the pier, past the restaurant as he leans over the edge.

"Careful Prom," Noctis teases. "You wouldn't want to fall in."

"I won't!" he giggles and grabs Noctis' hand, pulling him close.

The sun is slowly lowering, getting ready for its nightly sleep. The sky is bright orange, with hints of purple and pink and Noctis' heart feels more than warm; it's practically buzzing with energy.

"It's really pretty here," Prompto whispers and leans his head against Noctis' shoulder.

"Yeah," he mutters, and tentatively wraps his arm around Prompto's shoulder. Yeah, they're dating now, but it's barely been a day and Noctis isn't too used to the sensation, or what he's allowed to do.

Prompto snuggles against him, his gaze staring out at the ocean, watching the sky slowly grow darker and darker.

"Hey, Noct. When we get back to New York," Prompto begins softly. "Are we... still gonna be like this?"

"Huh?" Noctis blinks. "What do you mean?"

"I mean... can we... can I... still be your boyfriend?" Something flickers in Prompto's blue eyes, and Noctis remembers how insecure the blond can be sometimes. All this time Noctis thought he was the scared one, when Prompto is equally as fearful.

"Yeah..." he smiles. "I mean it would be kinda silly if we broke up after we left California."

Prompto's lip quirks up into a smile. "Yeah, that would be pretty silly. I would have to suggest we just stay here forever if that was the case!"

"Yeah, me too," Noctis says.

There are a few things Noctis is a little worried about. Graduation, his father, the company, finding time for Prompto. But then again, he knows they'll make it work. They always do.

"I just... am really, really happy," Prompto whispers, pulling back so he can look at Noctis.

"Yeah," Noctis smiles, his heart buzzing again. "Me too."

Prompto is his boyfriend. Boyfriend. No word has ever made Noctis feel happier.

Prompto leans in and presses his lips to Noctis' again and Noctis pulls him in tight. At this rate, Noctis thinks he'll never let Prompto go. Ever.

And as the sun sets, Noctis knows their last night in California is going to be absolutely perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhh I am so so happy to be writing this chapter and posting it!! It feels so good to have them get together! Finally! Thank you to Lizi for reading this! I can't believe there are only two chapters left! (the next one might be a lil steamy ;) <3


	12. California to New York

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys rush back to New York

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is minor nsfw in this, but it's not very graphic, very light.

When Noctis wakes up, Prompto is still sleeping next to him. It's a rare occasion, that Noctis gets up before Prompto, so he takes a moment to revel in it; really takes in the sight in front of him.

Prompto's golden eyelashes just barely brush against his cheeks and his chest rises and falls gently with the pattern of his breathing. Noctis can't believe he's real.

Noctis can't believe Prompto is his _boyfriend_.

He's almost nervous to move, scared if he does, Prompto will wake up and Noctis will realize he's been dreaming this whole damn time.

He swallows, looks at his phone and his eyes immediately widen, a different fear taking over.

"Prom!" he says and shakes him immediately. "We gotta wake up! We gotta leave."

Prompto grunts and rolls over. "Nnn... Noct... not right now..." he mumbles and Noctis can't really blame him.

They spent the majority of the previous night talking on the beach. Even surrounded by tourists, it really felt like it was just the two of them sitting there in the moonlight. Noctis was floating all night. The fact that he could kiss Prompto whenever he pleased now still hadn't quite hit him and even though they were already best friends, it felt like Noctis had so many things to say to him last night.

They reminisced about their feelings, how things came to be, and Noctis fell in love with him all over again.

But right now, they have a problem. It's already 10 AM and they need to be on the road if they want to make it back to New York in time. Without stopping, it would take a little under 2 days, but Noctis needs to sleep, even if he does plan on speeding a little to cut down time, especially now they've woken up late.

It doesn't really bother him all that much, because now, he _loves_ the idea of being cramped in the car with Prompto for multiple days. What was once his horror, is now his paradise.

It's funny how one little confession can change everything.

"Prom! I hate to say this, but we gotta," Noctis says, leaning over to gently poke his boyfriend on his cheek.

Prompto groans and swats the finger away, but slowly sits up. "Is this how you feel when I wake you up all the time?" he asks.

"Yup," Noctis nods. "Glad I can finally give you a taste of your own medicine."

"Gee, thanks," Prompto says, and flips his hair up, letting it flop to the side messily.

"Anytime," Noctis says, grunting as he rolls out of bed.

They have to pack up their clothes and get things ready for the car. Noctis realizes now he maybe didn't plan out their trip as well as he thought. He gave them plenty of time to get out to California and barely anytime to get back.

"How about... we just stay here and never go back," Prompto whines, tossing his suitcase into the trunk.

Noctis raises his eyebrow. "You wanna stay in L.A? I thought you liked New York?" he teases, placing his own suitcase into the trunk.

"Well, yeah, I do... but I mostly like New York because of you," he says. "And now L.A is important to us and so we should just stay and never leave and never worry about driving back."

Noctis smirks, leaning forward to kiss Prompto once more before heading around to the driver's side of the car. "We gotta go back so we can graduate at least."

"I guess," Prompto sighs, and swings his door open.

By 11 A.M, they're finally off, heading back to their home city.

Driving in the car with Prompto now feels far less taxing. The tension is gone, and they even lock hands in the middle, Noctis needing only one hand when they're driving on the long stretches of highway.

"Sorry I didn't really plan anywhere for us to stop on the way back..." Noctis admits. "I didn't really think through the journey back."

"Hey man, it's whatever... as long as I'm with you, I don't care where we go or how long it takes," Prompto whispers and squeezes his hand.

"Yeah," Noctis nods. "Me too..."

There's a small tug on his heart, knowing that back in the city responsibilities wait for him. He has no idea if his father will approve of Prompto or what will happen once they graduate. He's starting to understand why Prompto maybe wanted to stay in California for as long as they could.

He glances to the side, looking at Prompto for a brief moment, his thumb brushing over Prompto's skin. "What?" the blond asks, and though Noctis is looking at the road, he can sense Prompto's eyes on him.

"Nothing..." Noctis mutters. For now he wants to revel in his happy feelings; feelings he's held back for years he can finally express.

"That doesn't sound like nothing," Prompto teases.

"I guess I just... kinda don't want this trip to end," he admits. "For the whole thing I kept thinking we just needed to get there and get back cause... I was worried about you finding out... and now that you know... well... I kinda wish... I had told you at the beginning."

"Yeah," Prompto chuckles. "I kinda wish that too. But hey, after we graduate, we can go on another adventure! Europe trip!" he winks, waggling his eyebrows.

"At least I wouldn't have to drive there!" Noctis teases

Noctis pulls into the first hotel later that night. After multiple bathroom breaks, driving through for shitty food and listening to Prompto's music, Noctis is completely wiped out.

The two of them collapse into bed, and Noctis lets his arm drape around Prompto's waist, snuggling close to him.

"I love you, Noct," Prompto whispers and nuzzles his nose against him.

"I love you too, Prom," he replies and sucks gently on his lower lip. He hopes they can be close like this for the rest of their lives. Maybe that's dramatic, but it's true.

"You tired?" Prompto asks.

"Yeah," Noctis whispers and lets his eyes flutter shut, his head sinking into the pillow.

"Aw," Prompto whines softly.

"Prom..." Noctis groans, opening his eyes to look at his boyfriend's pouting face. "Don't make that face. It's late and we gotta drive for _hours_ tomorrow! What do you even wanna do?!"

Prompto's face turns bright red. "Well..." he trails off, his eyes flicking towards the ceiling.

Oh. _Oh_.

Noctis' own face turns a bright red color. "Maybe I could stay awake a little longer," he says, leaning forward to kiss Prompto.

He thought about this a few times. Or more than a few times. How it would feel to _touch_ Prompto; really touch him. Noctis can honestly say touching the real thing is far better than anything his mind could've imagined.

Noctis rolls on top of him and he stares down into Prompto's bright eyes. He looks vulnerable like this, beautiful, and smiling. The weight of Prompto's arms drape around Noctis' neck and the two kiss again.

It's a blur of emotions and pleasure. Noctis touches all over Prompto's smooth skin. He likes kissing his neck and his tummy and even _lower_ as it makes Prompto squeak in absolute delight.

Small breaths slip from Prompto's lips, his gentle moans lingering in the air as Noctis wraps his lips around Prompto. It tastes warm and he can feel Prompto pulsing in his mouth, his own body on fire.

He loves feeling Prompto's hand run through his hair. He adores the way Prompto's back lifts up off the bed, sweat rolling down his spine. His blond hair is pressed against the pillow and drool slips down his chin. Noctis is the reason and he revels in every delicious moment.

It takes some digging, but Noctis pulls out a condom Prompto apparently carried with him the whole damn trip and the two of them laugh, especially knowing they could've enjoyed each other so much earlier.

Better late than never, they both suppose.

"I love you," Noctis says after much prepping and he's buried inside of Prompto. Prompto's fingers press into his back and the two of them roll their hips together, grunts and moans slowly turning into a cacophony of voices in the small hotel room.

"I love you too," Prompto mumbles and presses his lips to Noctis' ear. The rush of emotions is enough to overwhelm them both and Noctis' hips move faster than he anticipated.

Together they move, and being connected to Prompto is a whole different level of euphoria Noctis never realized he would ever experience. His body tingles and tightens and his muscles ache, but he's slammed by a rush of joy as he finishes, Prompto soon finishing after him, the two of them panting messes in the soft hotel bed.

"Man," Prompto whispers. "That was way better than anything I ever imagined."

"So you thought about it..." Noctis pants, rolling to the side to bury his nose in Prompto's neck. This is exactly where he belongs. It doesn't matter where they are, as long as he is with Prompto, he's comfortable.

"Why do you think I had a condom?" he chuckles.

"I thought about it too, but I didn't have a condom."

"I guess I just had more faith than you!" Prompto giggles and yawns loudly. Both of them are completely spent and Noctis doesn't even care that he'll be tired in the car tomorrow.

"Suuuuure," Noctis teases, but really he's thankful Prompto thought about it at all.

As he drifts off to sleep, he hopes he never has to move.

~~

The morning is rough; Prompto complains about being sore, and even with the complaints, he tries to convince Noctis to do it again. As much as Noctis wants to give in, they have another night of driving ahead of them.

Thing rush along far too fast for Noctis' liking. They're over halfway home at this point, and when they stop at another hotel, this time he tells Prompto he just needs to sleep.

They can do it as much as they want when they're back in New York.

It takes them about 2 and a half days to finally see New York City on the horizon. It's Sunday night, which means they have classes tomorrow but Noctis is already not sure if he's going to go.

"WOO HOO!" Prompto cheers, thrusting his finger towards the window. "We actually made it! I can see New York City!"

"Man... we did..." Noctis sighs.

"You tired, bud?" he chuckles and squeezes his hand, bringing it to his lips to kiss it.

"Exhausted as all hell, but it was worth it," Noctis whispers and smiles at his boyfriend. It was beyond worth it. Nothing has ever been more worth it in his whole damn life.

"I love you," Prompto smiles. "Thank you for taking me on this amazing trip."

"Yeah, thanks for... suggesting it," Noctis says.

"Nah, I didn't really even do anything," Prompto shrugs.

"You did plenty and we have the perfect pictures. It's documented forever," Noctis nods.

"True!" Prompto says and smile joyfully. "I'll always treasure these memories."

As they begin to pull into the city, bustling of cars honking around them and people crowding the streets, Noctis can't help but smile at being home. The trip was exciting! Long and thrilling, full of tension and emotion, but now he's home and he's never felt so free.

They pull the car into their garage, and both of them shakily get out of. Where the trip began, it now ends.

"I have to say, as much as I'm going to miss our adventures, I won't miss being in that car!" Prompto laughs.

"Me neither," Noctis sighs and opens his trunk to pull out their suitcases.

The two make their way up to their apartment hand in hand and Noctis opens the door, stepping inside. It looks as if they never left, all their clutter still in the same places.

Everything looks the same, and yet everything is so different.

"We're home," Noctis whispers.

"Welcome back," Prompto says and leans in to kiss Noctis again.

They both know, even without Prompto's pictures, it's a trip they'll never forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you can believe it, this story is almost done!! I have a small epilogue I want to do for the next chapter!! I hope you guys enjoy. This one didn't turn out exactly how I planned but i actually like this better, it didn't feel write to make the smut anymore graphic, since i'm going for flashes of moments in each chapter <3 Thank you guys so much for the support on this fic!!


	13. The End: New York

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis and Prompto plan for the future!

Noctis holds the diploma in his hands. The booklet is light and he's surprised by how easily it is to carry.

"I'm proud of you, son." His father places a heavy hand on his shoulder, and Noctis can't help but crack a smile.

"Thanks, Dad," he says, brushing his finger over the name on the paper. _His_ name.

He always imagined this day with a heavy heart; he thought he'd be nervous, uncertain of the future. He could imagine seeing his father, so proud and Noctis being unsure of how to answer. Now, a simple 'thanks' makes the most sense.

Admittedly, he's proud of himself too.

"You've come a long way."

He certainly has.

"I really am looking forward to working with you," Noctis says, and for once he means the words. They escape his lips easily, no hesitation, no reason to hold back.

"I am too. Though, I do want you to enjoy yourself this summer," Regis continues. He's thankful his father is so relaxed about him taking the summer off, before he eventually needs to join the real world.

"I think I will..." Noctis chuckles softly. He glances over to where Prompto stands with his parents. He's got his arms around them, laughing brightly. Though there are plenty of loud people chattering around him. Noctis can imagine the joyous sound and it warms his heart. Prompto pulls his parents in for a selfie and all of them are smiling now.

Prompto is glowing in the summer sun, full of life and energy he now shares with Noctis.

Noctis has never felt so damn lucky.

His father follows Noctis' gaze, and he pats his shoulder letting out a gentle chuckle. "I'll see you and Prompto at dinner, I presume? His parents as well?"

"Ah!" He jumps at the touch, and turns to look at his father with a nod. "Yeah, definitely!"

"Wonderful," Regis smiles. "I am proud of you for graduating, but I think I'm more proud you seem to have found your happiness. I'll have to thank Prompto later." He winks and Noctis feels his heart leap into his throat.

His father knows about the relationship between Noctis and Prompto, it's hard not to when Prompto has plenty of pictures of them plastered all over Instagram. Still, it makes him happy to have his father's support.

"You know, you don't have to thank him, it's fine," Noctis shakes his head.

"No, no, I think I must," Regis teases, nudging his son.

Noctis sighs. He won't ever be able to escape embarrassment, it seems. Though he doesn't mind sporting some flushed cheeks if it means getting to be with Prompto forever.

~~

"Ahhhhh," Prompto lets out a long sigh as he flops down on their couch. "I never wanna look at food again, I'm so stuffed!"

"You say that now, but tomorrow you're gonna be rummaging through the kitchen complaining that we need groceries," Noctis teases.

"I know, I know. But man that restaurant your Dad picked was fancy," he says. "Best food I've ever had hands down."

"Mmm," Noctis hums. He takes a seat on the couch next to Prompto, lacing their fingers together. "It's his favorite. I'm sure we'll go again."

"Yessssss," Prompto hisses, his head flopped back against the back of the couch.

It's only been a few months, but the apartment feels different, more... homey. Though their lives were already so intertwined, it feels like everything mingles together even more now. Shoes were strewn about in random order. Their video games were stacked together, not on separate shelves. Things didn't seem to matter as much after their trip. Already they've changed Noctis' old room into an office with space for photo shoots, both of them now sleeping in Prompto's bed.

All of it feels natural, like it was meant to happen.

Noctis supposes it really was a long time coming.

"I can't believe we graduated," Prompto says softly, looking up at their ceiling. "We have to be real adults now. Gross!" he laughs.

"I can't imagine you ever being a real adult," Noctis teases and gently nudges Prompto, squeezing his hand.

"Yeah, same," Prompto smiles and leans over to kiss Noctis cheek. "I definitely can't imagine us growing up."

"Nope, and hey, my Dad said I could have the summer off to do what I wanted so... I was thinking..." Noctis trails off, turning to look at Prompto. Maybe he'll catch on. He usually does.

His bright eyes seem to glow even more, and his mouth pulls into the widest smile Noctis thinks he's ever seen.

"Does this mean... what I think it means?!" he says and jumps up on the couch, leaning in closer to Noctis.

He chuckles, leaning towards Prompto, their noses just about touching. "What do you think it means?" he grins.

Prompto wiggles his eyebrows. "Europe?" he whispers quietly.

"Europe," Noctis nods.

"YES!" Prompto shouts, thrusting both of his hands up into the air! "I'm gonna go pack right now!"

"Okay, but... we haven't even decided all the places we're going to go!" Noctis laughs. Prompto is so damn cute when he gets so excited like this; it's half the reason he wants to go to Europe with him.

Plus, it'll be fun to be on a trip as a couple, instead of being a pining idiot the whole goddamn time.

"It doesn't matter! We're going together and I love you!" Prompto blurts it out and Noctis feels his face burn red.

"I love you too..."

Prompto smiles. "I gotta say, I'm happy we have longer than two weeks! A whole summer in Europe!"

"Yup! And no car," Noctis sighs. "It'll be nice to not have to drive your ass around everywhere."

"Does this mean you'll be less grouchy?" Prompto teases, nudging Noctis' side.

"Hopefully," he snorts. Not to mention, he won't have years worth of feelings completely bottled up inside.

"I can't wait! It's going to be the best trip ever. Or well... second best trip. I don't know if anything will beat L.A."

"Really? You think Europe won't be as good as L.A?" Noctis asks, raising his eyebrow.

"I mean... L.A. is special," Prompto whispers. "It's where we had our first kiss." He says it so shyly, like it's a secret he shouldn't speak of. His cheeks are flushed red as he thinks back on the moment.

Damn, Noctis loves him so much.

"You're right, it is," Noctis says.

"But hey! We're going to make Europe really special too!" Prompto smiles, lighting up the whole room, making Noctis' heart swell.

Prompto is literally the cutest person Noctis has ever come across and he doesn't truly know how to handle it.

So, Noctis kisses him.

"Hell yeah, we are," Noctis. mutters.

He cups his cheek and brushes his thumb over the freckles on Prompto's skin, pressing their lips together again. Prompto is warm and feels like home.

No matter where they go, Prompto will always to feel like home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys SO SO SO much for following this fic! It always feels a little sad when a fic ends and this one was so so fun to write. It's a story idea I've wanted to write for awhile and so to put it on these characters was really cool and I'm glad you guys enjoyed the trip with them!! <3 Thank you to Lizi for betaing this and many chapters and Janie for betaing some chapters as well, you two were my biggest support on this fic and I really appreciate it!! Thank you to all who have supported my FFXV fics <3 I'm glad I could see this one to the end <3

**Author's Note:**

> [emeraldwaves](http://emeraldwaves.tumblr.com/) is my tumblr where I take requests  
> [musickazoo](https://twitter.com/musickazoo) is my twitter!


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